Rise of the Brave Tangled Dragons: Hogwarts, Book One
by CrypticHecate
Summary: The big four at Hogwarts. With Jack searching for his past, Hiccup trying to live up to a Gryffindor family legacy from the Hufflepuff House, Rapunzel searching for her ever-missing chameleon, and Merida's family issues, what could possibly go wrong? [Closely following the actual plot of the original Harry Potter books]
1. The Journey from Platform Nine and Three

_**[The Journey from Platform Nine and Three Quarters, Chapter One reference pg. 91-112]**_

* * *

Jack arrived at King's Cross Station at ten thirty. The taxi driver dumped his trunk on the sidewalk and proceeded to drive off, leaving Jack to carry it into the station. After Jack managed to get his trunk onto a cart and find platforms nine and ten he paused. His ticket read platform nine and three-quarters, but no such platform seemed to exist. So he stood there, waiting for someone else to appear who was also looking for the elusive platform. It wasn't like he could just ask people where it was; everyone here could be a Muggle and it didn't take a genius to know that letting Muggles know anything about the Wizarding World was at the top of the 'Things to Avoid List'.

"What's te' platform number?" Jack turned and saw a rather odd-looking bald man with five teens around his age following him. The man wasn't much taller than they were, with limbs that strangely resembled tree trunks and; based on the length of his mustache, Jack would have sworn all the hair on his head had been tied together and glued to his face. To top it all off he spoke with an accent that Jack could only describe as Nordic, and he was missing his right leg and left hand! Jack didn't even want to think about what could have happened to explain the missing appendages and quickly changed his attention to the teens. Two of the guys had about the same build as the man, while the other guy and two girls; one of which was clearly his sister, had branches for limbs instead of a whole trunk, and none of them seemed quite too happy to be here.

"It's platform nine and three-quarters!" called out a voice too small to belong to any of the teens.

"Right then, Fishlegs, you first."

The tallest trunk-like teen proceeded forward, and just when '_Fishlegs_' was nearing the platforms a crowd formed, blocking Jack's view so he couldn't tell where the teen went, but Jack could have sworn he ran _right through_ the wall in-between platforms nine and ten.

"Ruffnut, Tuffnut you're next."

"Bet I can get there before you," the blonde branch girl said to the other blonde guy now standing next to her.

"No, I'll get there first."

"No you won't. I'll-"

"Would you two jus' _go_?" the man pleaded. The siblings, now that they were standing next to each other Jack could tell they were really twins, smirked before heading in the same direction as the boy before them, and vanishing just as quickly.

"Hey!" Jack called out to the group of would be vikings, "How did you do that?"

"First year eh? The lot of them is new too," said the trunk of a man while gesturing to the three remaining teens behind him.

_Wait_-Three? Jack could now see third teenager, smaller than all the others Jack had seen earlier. He must have been the voice from before.

"You just have to go right in between the wall separating the platforms. It's best to do it at a run if you ask me," continued the trunk. "Now go before Hiccup."

Jack turned and aiming his cart for the wall, began to run towards it. He closed his eyes and waited for the crash of his cart hitting the wall. When the inevitable crash didn't arrive Jack opened his eyes. A train labeled, _Hogwarts Express_, now stood before him with what he could only assume where other wizards all around it. Turning around Jack saw a wrought-iron gate with a sign that read _Platform Nine and Three-Quarters_. Between the sound of rising smoke, owls hooting, and the general hustle and bustle of everyone around him, Jack could barely hear himself think. He _loved_ it.

After finding an empty compartment in the back of the train and put his owl down, Jack tried to get his trunk to follow suit. Unfortunately for him, getting a trunk into a cart and wheeling it all over the place was a lot easier than getting said trunk up a few steps and onto a train.

"Hey! Want a hand?" offered the twins he followed through the barrier.

"Sure," Jack wasn't having any luck, maybe they would.

* * *

When the train started moving Jack couldn't tell if he was more nervous or excited about everything that awaited him at Hogwarts. The one thing he knew was that it had to be better than living alone for the past three years.

"This seat still available?" it was the scrawny teen from the group of viking sized people, Hiccup. "Everywhere else is taken."

"Nope. It's just me in here." Jack shrugged. As Hiccup set his bags down the twins came back.

"Hey Hiccup, when you leave be sure to look out for a chameleon, one of the other first years lost it playing hide and seek."

"Great," Hiccup responded, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, I'm Ruffnut" said the girl, "and this is Tuffnut. We're from-"

"Hey look! Someone found it!"

"Really! Where?"

And with that Ruffnut and Tuffnut left, pushing and shoving each other out of their way.

"So what's up with the names?" Jack blurted out.

"What?"

"You're all from the same place right?" with no response from Hiccup he added, "Sorry I just assumed-"

"It's fine, sometimes I just forget how cut off from the rest of the world Berk is." said Hiccup,"It's about 12 days north of hopeless and a few degrees short of freezing to death."

"That's distant," Jack laughed. "Must be nice being so well hidden,"

"Sure it's great. The only problems are the pests. Most places have mice or mosquitos, we have dragons."

"Dragons." Jack repeated, disbelief dripping from his voice.

"Nightly raids, ton of fire, people with missing limbs, the works."

Well that explains the trunk man.

"So why don't you just leave?"

"We're vikings. We have stubbornness issues."

Jack was cracking up now. He was trying not to laugh, really. This was just too funny.

"So, names?" he asked, still trying not to laugh to hard.

"Hiccup's not worst. Parents believe that a hideous name will frighten off Gnomes and trolls. Like our charming viking demeanor wouldn't do that."

"Not dragons?"

"Nope. We get to fight those off."

The image of this scrawny kid fighting off dragons sent Jack into whole new round of hysterics, with Hiccup joining in.

"So where did you grow up?" asked the viking.

Jack paused, "I spent the last three years alone in the Muggle World," he said in a low voice.

"What happened?" Hiccup asked, and immediately regretted it. "Hey if you don't want to talk about it, it's fine, just curious you know and if you don't-" Jack was pretty sure Hiccup said that all in one breath.

"Jack,"

"What?" asked a now very confused Hiccup.

"That's my name. Jack. Granted most people know me as Jack Frost but, whatever."

"Oh I heard about you," Hiccup said looking very relieved, "My dad said you gave the Ministry a real hard time covering up all those snow storms."

"Yeah, it wasn't too hard to understand the whole 'Wizard' thing when I got my letter." Jack chuckled. "You'd think I'd have figured it out sooner with the blizzard that followed me everywhere."

Once the two of them managed to catch their breath Jack asked, "Excited to get away from the dragons for a while?"

"No," said a now gloomy Hiccup, "My parents went to Hogwarts, both in Gryffindor. Mom was a Prefect and Dad was the captain of the Quidditch team, and he somehow expects me to do the same."

After that they were quiet for a while, watching the fields and trees roll on by. Around twelve thirty a plump woman came by and offered them some food. Jack, who hadn't had breakfast quickly took her up in her offer, while Hiccup claimed he wasn't hungry. He got a few of the chocolate frogs, figuring they were the wizard version of chocolate bunnies and went back to his seat.

"You sure you don't want anything?" Jack asked.

"No, I'm fine," responded Hiccup as Jack opened one of the frogs and found a card inside. It had a bald man with silvery robes on it. Underneath the picture was the name Tsar Lunar. He flipped the card over and read:

**Tsar Lunar**

Most commonly known as '_The Man in the Moon_'

Current Headmaster of Hogwarts

Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Lunar is particularly famous for his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicholas Flamel.

"So this is our headmaster," Jack said showing Hiccup the card.

"Don't tell me haven't heard of The Man in the Moon?" Hiccup asked looking astonished.

"Sure, but those were just fairy tales," Jack responded.

There was a knock on the compartment door and a girl with hair braided down to her legs walked in.

"Sorry," she said, "but have either of you seen Pascal? He's my chameleon."

When both of them shook their head she said miserably "If you see him would you let me know?"

"So, you excited to get to the school?" Jack asked the girl who was, in his opinion, getting cuter every second.

"Oh yes!" Cried the girl, clearly happier now, "I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Mother swore I wasn't magic at all, it was such a wonderful surprise when I got my letter, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is. I've already learned all our course books by heart, I just hope it will be enough. I'm Rapunzel by the way who are you?"

Jack looked at Hiccup as was glad to see he was just as surprised by her sudden mood swing as he was.

"I'm Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third." Hiccup said, earning him strange looks from both Jack and Rapunzel. "What?"

"I'm Jack," Jack said, still dumbfounded by the sheer strangeness of Hiccup's full name.

"Oh, well I'll just go back and look for Pascal," Rapunzel said, clearly as dumbfounded as Jack. "You two had better change into your uniforms, I think we'll be there soon."

And she left as chameleon-less as she came.

Turning to Jack, Hiccup asked, "My name isn't that weird is it?"

"Not until you say it out loud."

"Great," Hiccup groaned.

"Did you hear about Gringotts?" Jack asked, recalling something he heard people talking about when he first arrived on the platform.

"Are you kidding? It's been all over _The Daily Prophet_. Someone tried to rob a high security vault."

"What happened to whoever did it?"

"Nothing. They don't know who it was. My dad said it had to be a powerful Dark wizard to get past all the traps they have set up, but whoever it was didn't take anything."

Just then the twins and one of the viking boys entered their compartment without so much as a knock.

"I'm Snotlout," the viking said and noting Hiccup he added, "You'll learn that some wizarding families are better than others. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong ones. I can help you out there."

He held out his hand to shake but Jack wasn't interested.

"Think I can figure that out for myself."

With a huff the twins and Snotlout left just before a voice was sent over the train's intercom letting them now they would be arriving shortly.

The train slowed down and finally stopped. People pushed their way out of the train and onto a tiny dark platform, each of whom was now shivering in the night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Hiccup and Jack heard a familiar voice call out: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here! Made it alright did ye Hiccup?"

The tree of a Viking stood at the front of a sea of young wizards.

"Come on, follow me. Watch your step! It gets slippery once the fog sets in."

They somehow managed to follow the Viking down the path in silence. Once the group made it to the end of the trail, they could see a castle perched atop a mountain behind a black lake.

"Four to a boat," the Viking said gesturing to a small fleet of row boats at the base of the lake. Jack and Hiccup were followed by Rapunzel and a fiery redhead into their boats.

"Everyone in?" Shouted the Viking who had a boat to himself. "Right then, Forward!"

And with that the fleet of boats headed off toward the castle. When they approached a cliff underneath the castle they were all told to lower their heads and remained crouched over until they came upon a harbor within the cavern. They all clambered out of their boats and started heading into the cavern until they heard the man call out: "You there! Is this your chameleon?"

"Pascal!" Cried out Rapunzel blissfully holding out her hands. When they made it to the end of the passage and climbed up a few stone steps the Viking checked to make sure everyone was still there, Rapunzel still had her chameleon, and proceeded to knock three times on the large oak door.


	2. The Sorting Hat

_**[The Sorting Hat, Chapter Two reference pg. 113-130]**_

* * *

The door swung open at once. A tall wizard with long white hair and beard stood there. He had a very stern face and Hiccup's first thought was that he looked too much like the older vikings back home.

"Here are the firs' years, Professor North." said Gobber.

"Thank you Gobber. I'll take them from here." Huh, for such an intimidating guy he sounded a lot friendlier than Hiccup expected him to, even with a thick Russian accent.

He pulled the door wide. The whole entrance hall could have fit five of the houses from Berk, plus all the new ones that would have to be built when they burned down. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase led to the floors above them. They followed Professor North across the flagged stone floor. You could hear the sound of voices from the right - the rest of the school must already be in here-but Professor North showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing closer than normal, and looked around nervously.

"Velcome to Hogvarts," said Professor North, "The banquet vill begin shortly, but before you take your seats in Great Hall you will be sorted into houses. Vhile you are 'ere your house vill be family. You will have classes vith house, sleep in dormitory vith house, and spend free time in house's common room. The houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Triumphs vill earn your house points, while rule breaking vill lose them. At end of the year, house with most points vill vin house cup, a great honor. The Sorting Ceremony vill take place in few minutes in front of the rest of school. I suggest you prepare yourselves vhile you are waiting."

His eyes lingered for a moment on the twins' attempt at being presentable.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," continued Professor North, "Please vait quietly."

He then left the chamber and Hiccup's started to panic.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" Jack asked him.

"Some kind of test I think, Snotlout said it hurts a lot but I think he was just trying to mess with me." He looked around anxiously and saw that he wasn't the only one who looked terrified. The only people talking were Snotlout, who was boasting about how easy this was going to be, and Rapunzel, who was whispering quickly about all the spells she'd memorized and wondering which one she'd need. Hiccup had never been more nervous, not even the time he almost set all of Berk on fire. He just kept his eyes locked on the door. Any second now Professor North would come back and lead him to his doom.

And just when his heart reached its anticipation limit everyone behind him decided to scream, and Hiccup jumped about a foot in the air. When he turned around Hiccup could see about twenty or so ghosts coming through the back wall. Pearly white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly seemed to notice the first years. They seemed to be arguing but he couldn't quite see over all the other students heads. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"

"Haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and he's not even a ghost! And - What are you all doing here?" a strangely viking-like ghost had noticed them.

Nobody answered.

"New students!" cried the Fat Friar, smiling at them. "About to be sorted I suppose?"

A few people nodded.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" Said the friar, "My old house you know."

"Move along now," said a gruff voice, "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

Professor North has returned.

"Form a line and follow me," Professor North said.

With legs made of lead, Hiccup went into line behind a boy with sandy hair with Jack behind him, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors and into the Great Hall. It was lit by thousands of floating candles over four long tables where the rest of the students were sitting. Each laid out with golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long tabled where the teachers were sitting. Professor North led them up here, so that they were facing the other students with the teachers behind them. Hundreds of faces staring at them made Hiccup feel sick to his stomach and he quickly darted his eyes to the ceiling. Hiccup could have sworn he was just staring at the night sky if he hadn't overheard Rapunzel whisper, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in _Hogwarts, a History_."

When he finally got the courage to look back down, Hiccup saw a ragged old hat placed upon a stool in front of Professor North. There was silence for a moment, then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened up wide like a mouth and the hat began to sing:

_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can top them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a steady mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!_

The elder students burst into applause when the hat finished its song.

_So we've just got to try on the hat, thank god. but why do we have to do it infront of everyone?_ Hiccup thought to himself.

Professor North walked forward holding a long piece of parchment.

"Vhen I call your name you vill put on the hat and sit on the stool to be Sorted." he said. "Conera, Rapunzel!"

Rapunzel almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat onto her head. It took the hat a moment or two before shouting out: "Ravenclaw!"

The table from the left clapped as Rapunzel went to sit down, joining them.

"Dingwall, Wee!"

The sandy haired boy standing in front of Hiccup stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down to his eyes, and sat down. A moments pause and-

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

"Erikson, Fishlegs!"

"Ravenclaw!" Shouted the hat again.

Hiccup was starting to feel nervous now. What if he wasn't chosen? Would they just say there had been a mistake and send him home? How would he explain that to his father?

"Haddock, Hiccup!"

The last thing Hiccup saw before the hat dropped over his eyes was the hall full of people staring at him, all trying to get a closer look. Then he was inside the hat.

"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes - and a nice thrust to prove yourself, now that's interesting… So where shall I put you?"

A second later the hat shouted: "Hufflepuff!"

_I'm never going to hear the end of this…_ Hiccup thought to himself as he walked shakily over to the Hufflepuff table. He sat down opposite the friar ghost he saw earlier, who then patted his arm, giving him the feeling he'd just plunged into a bucket into ice-cold water. He could see the High Table properly now. He could see Gobber at the end near the Gryffindor table, who caught his eye and gave a shrug. _Thanks for the support_. And in the center, in a large gold chair, sat Tsar Lunar.

Jack wound up in Gryffindor along with Astrid and a girl named Merida. While Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut all ended up in Slytherin. Once the rest of the Sorting was completed, Tsar Lunar stood up, beaming at the students.

"Welcome," he begain, "to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet I would like to say a few words. Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

Tsar Lunar then paused and said, "Thank you." and he sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered, and Hiccup felt something poking his shoulder.

"Is he nuts?" Jack asked Hiccup uncertainly.

"Nuts?" turning around Jack saw the other blonde viking from the station. "He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! Now are you just going to sit there and talk to Hiccup the entire time or do you plan on eating?"

Jack immediately turned around and picked up his fork. He had never been so intimidated in his life.

"That does look good," said the ghost sitting next to Jack. "I don't need to eat of course, but one does miss it. I don't think I've introduced myself? Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington at your service. Resident of Gryffindor tower."

"Ah know who ye are!" a girl with wildly curly red hair exclaimed. "Yoo're Nearly Headless Nick!"

"I would prefer you to call me Sir Nicholas de Mimsy -"

"How can you be nearly headless?" the blond asked.

Well it was nice to know there weren't any 'nearly headless' people at Berk.

"Like this!" Sir Nicholas said irritably as he pulled his left ear, and the rest of his head over to the right side of his body as though it was on a hinge. Looking pleased with the stunned looks on their faces, Sir Nicholas flipped his head back onto his neck and said, "So - new Gryffindors! I hope you're going to help us win the House Cup this year. Gryffindors have never gone so long without winning. Slytherins have gotten the cup six years in a row! The Bloody Baron's becoming almost unbearable - he's the Slytherin ghost."

Jack looked over at the Slytherin table and saw a horrible ghost sitting there with blank staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. He was right next to Snotlout, who didn't look so pleased with the seating arrangements.

"How did he get covered in blood?" asked Jack nervously.

"I've never asked." responded Nearly Headless Nick.

When Jack had finished eating he looked up at the High Table to see if he could find the tree-like viking from before. Instead he saw two teachers, one with long black hair and beard, dressed like a celtic warrior, with a face covered in scars; and the other appeared to be a giant rabbit.

"Who are those two?" Jack asked Sir Nicholas.

"The celt's Professor Mor'du," responded the ghost. "He's new, teaches Defence Against the Dark Arts. The Pooka is Professor Bunnymund. He teaches Potions, Herbology and the Study of Ancient Runes elective for the third years - but doesn't want to. Everyone knows he's after Mor'du's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Bunny." Nick paused an then said, "Don't call him that to his face,"

It wasn't too long later that Professor Chandresh got to his feet again, and the hall fell silent once more.

"Just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start of term notices to give to you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well. I have also been asked by Mr. Weselton, the caretaker, to remind you that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested playing should contact Mr. Gobber. And finally, I must tell you that the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

He paused.

"And now, Bedtime! Off you go,"

The Gryffindor first years followed one of the older students; a Prefect he was called, all the way to what must have been the other side of the school before coming to a sudden halt. A bundle of walking sticks was floating in midair ahead of them. When the Prefect tried to take a step forward the sticks started to throw themselves at him.

"Peeves," he whispered to the first years, "A poltergeist." then raising his voice he said "Peeves - Show yourself."

When there was no response he continued, "Do you want me to get the Bloody Baron?"

Then there was a pop, and a little man with wicked, dark eyes and wide mouth appeared clutching the walking sticks.

"OoooooH!" he cackled, swooping at them, "Ickel Firsties! What fun!"

"Go away Peeves or the Baron'll hear about this. I mean it!" Barked the Prefect. Peeves stuck out his tongue and vanished, dropping the walking sticks on Jack' s head. They heard him rattling coats of armor as he passed.

"Here we are," said the Prefect cheerfully, "Gryffindor Tower."

Jack didn't see a door to said tower, just a painting of a heavy-set woman in a pink dress.

"Password?" She asked.

"Caput Draconis," said the Prefect, and the portrait swung forward to reveal a round hole in the wall. They all scrambled though, and found themselves in a cozy, round room full of squishy armchairs.

They were then directed to the dormitories; the girls on the left and the boys on the right. At the top of a spiral staircase they found their beds. A series of bunk beds lined the walls with one of their trunks at the foot of each. Too tired to talk, the boys pulled on their pajamas and fell quickly fell asleep.


	3. The Potions Master

**_[The Potions Master, Chapter Three, reference pg. 131 - 142]_**

* * *

There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide sweeping ones, narrow rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right spot, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but just solid walls pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was because it all seemed to move around so much. The people in the paintings kept going to visit one another, and Jack was sure the coats of armor could walk.

The ghosts didn't help either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided through a door you were trying to open. Nearly Headless Nick was happy to point new Gryffindors in the right direction, but Peeves was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you ran into him when you were late to class. He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, and even pelt you with bits of chalk.

Even worse than Peeves was the caretaker Mr. Weselton. Jack and the curly redhead managed to get on the wrong side of him on their first morning. Weselton found them trying to force their way through a door that turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor. He wouldn't believe they were lost, thought they were trying to break in purpose, and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons when they were rescued by Nearly Headless Nick when he just happened to be floating by. Mr. Weselton owned a cat called Mrs. Norris, a scrawny, dust - colored creature with bulging, lamp like eyes just like Weselton's. She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd be off for her master, who'd appear two seconds later. Weselton knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts. The students all hated him, and it was the hope of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick.

And then, once you had somehow managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Jack quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words.

They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for.

Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up the next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Emeric the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up.

Professor Mansnoozie, otherwise known as Sandy, was the Charms and Astronomy teacher. He was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. The odd thing was, Sandy didn't talk. Jack didn't know if he couldn't, or just didn't want to, but every lesson was taught in a mixture of hand signals and the scraping of chalk against the board.

Jack was right to think that Professor North wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever, he gave them a talking to the moment they sat down for his first class.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogvarts." He said, "If anyvone is messing around in my class they vill leave and not come back. You 'ave been varned."

Then he changed his desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Astrid, the blond viking girl, had made any difference in her match; Professor North showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave Astrid a rare smile.

The class everyone had been looking forward to was Defence Against the Dark Arts, but Mor'du's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. His classroom smelled strangely of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back for him. Jack was so relieved to find out that he wasn't miles behind everyone else. Lots of people had come from the Muggle world too, and like him, hadn't had any idea they were witches and wizards. There was so much to learn that even people like Snotlout didn't have much of a head start.

* * *

Friday was an important day for Jack and Hiccup, they had finally made it to the great hall for breakfast without getting lost once.

"So anything exciting planned for today?" Hiccup asked Jack from his usual seat behind him. This way, if one ever wanted to talk to the other, all they had to do was lean back a little or turn around. They had done this so many times in the past week that Mérida, the curly redhead, had started to sit next to Jack and join in conversations with them.

"Double Potions with the Slytherins." Jack sighed.

"I've heard 'at Bunny favors th' slytherins coz he's th' heed ay their hoose." Mérida chimed in.

"Wish North favored us," Jack sighed again. Professor North was the head of the Gryffindor house, but it didn't stop him from giving them a huge pile of homework the day before.

Just then the mail arrived. Hiccup had gotten used to this by now, but it had given him a bit of a shock on the first morning when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners and dropped letters and packages onto their laps. Hiccup hadn't gotten anything so far. This morning, however, his owl dropped a note onto his plate. In a very untidy viking scrawl it said:

_Hiccup,_

_I know you get Friday afternoons off, would you like to stop by around three?_

_Gobber_

Hiccup was quick to invite Jack and Mérida along, he had Double Potions with Ravenclaw yesterday, they had no idea what they were in for.

* * *

Potions took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder there than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled eggs floating in glass jars all around the walls. Professor Bunny's eyes were grey, but they still made you think of dark tunnels underneath the earth.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," he began, like North, Bunny had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "There is little wand waving here, but this is magic. I don't expect you to really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed this little speech. Jack and Mérida exchanged looks with raise eyebrows, while Astrid was on the edge of her seat and looked determined to prove she wasn't a dunderhead.

"Pyry!" said Bunny suddenly, "What do I get if I added powdered root of asphodel and infusion of wormwood?"

Jack glanced at Mérida, who looked just as confused as he was; and Astrid's hand had shot up in the air.

"I don't know," responded Jack.

"Let's try again. Pyry, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Astrid stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat, but Jack didn't have the faintest idea what a bezoar was. He tried not to look at Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut who were shaking with laughter.

"I don't know,"

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Pyry?"

Jack forced himself to keep looking straight into those cold eyes. he had looked through the books, but was he really expected to remember everything in _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_?

Bunny was still ignoring Astrid's raised hand.

"What is the difference, Pyry, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

At this Astrid stood up clearly frustrated with both Jack and Professor Bunny at this point.

"I don't know." Jack said again. "But I think Astrid does, why don't you try her?"

A few people laughed; Bunny, however, was not pleased.

"Sit down," he snapped at Astrid. "For your information, Pyry, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most positions. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise Bunny said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor for your cheek, Pyry."

Things didn't improve for the Gryffindors as the Potions lesson continued. Bunny put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He hopped around, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Astrid and Snotlout, whom he seemed to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way they had stewed their horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeon. The two boys behind Jack and Mérida somehow managed to melt their cauldron and send their potion all over the floor. With in seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while the boys who had been drenched in the potion were moaning in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Bunny, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire? Take him to the Hospital wing," he snapped at the twins, who immediately got up to take him away.

"Pyry - why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong did you? That's another point you lost for Gryffindor. "

This was so unfair that Jack opened his mouth to argue, but Mérida kicked him behind their cauldron.

"Donae push it," warned Mérida, "I've heard Bunny can turn very nasty."

As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Jack's mind was racing and his spirits were low. He'd lost two points for Gryffindor on the first week. Why did Bunny hate him so much?

"Cheer up," said Mérida. "Let's go meit up wi' Hiccup an' heed ower tae Gobber's."

* * *

At five to three the three of them left the castle and made their way across the grounds to Gobber's hut. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door.

When Hiccup knocked they heard a frantic scrambling from inside and then Gobber appeared in the now open doorway. There was only one room inside. Hams, pheasants, and what looked like interchangeable attachments for Gobber's missing hand were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.

"Make yourselves at home." said Gobber.

"This is Mérida," Hiccup told Gobber, who was pouring whatever was in the kettle into four cups. "And you already met Jack."

"You're the boy from the station." Said Gobber. "Nice to see you got here alright."

Over the next half hour the three told Gobber all about their first week, and were delighted to hear him call the caretaker "that old git,"

"An' as fer that cat, I'd like to send it to the forest sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up get the school she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her - I think he puts her up to it."

Jack told Gobber about Bunny's lesson. Like Mérida, Gobber told him not to worry about it. Bunny hardly liked anyone.

"But he really seemed to hate me,"

"Why would he?"

Jack couldn't help but think that Gobber wouldn't quite meet his eyes when he said that.

"Gobber!" Hiccup said, holding up a newspaper clipping, "the break in at Gringotts happened right after we left!"

There was no doubt this time, Gobber definitely didn't want to meet their eyes this time. He grunted and told them he had to get the field ready for Quidditch tryouts.

Walking back to the castle for dinner, Hiccup thought about what the article had said about the robbery. Had Gobber collected the package just in time? Where was it now? And did Gobber know something about Bunny he didn't want to tell them?


	4. The Midnight Duel

_**[The Midnight Duel, Chapter Four, reference pg. 143 - 162]**_

* * *

Jack had never thought he would hate anyone as much as he hated Snotlout. Luckily, the first year Gryffindors only had Potions with Slytherin, so he didn't have to put up with him much. Or least that was the case until a notice was posted in the Gryffindor common room that said that flying lessons would be starting on Friday - with the Slytherins.

With flying lessons starting, Snotlout wouldn't stop talking about how good he was a Quidditch and how unfair it was that a champion like him had to wait a whole year to play. And if it wasn't about Quidditch, it was stories about how he would escape Muggles in helicopters. Even Mérida, Hiccup, and Astrid told stories about how they tried broomstick riding when their parents weren't around, Hiccup's normally ending with something getting destroyed or him hitting a tree. Each story also earned a comment from Astrid about how Hiccup should have been kept as far away from brooms as possible, which internally, Jack had to agree with. Hiccup had enough accidents on the ground never mind in the air. But despite Astrid's previous experience on brooms, Jack had caught her reading every book on flying she could find in the library to prepare for the class.

Jack had tried to get a few pointers out of her and Mérida, and then asked Hiccup what not to do; he seemed like the right guy to ask. Jack's interrogation was interrupted by the arrival of the mail. Hiccup hadn't gotten a single letter since Gobber's note, if you could even call it that, something that Snotlout had been quick to notice. Snotlout's Eagle owl was always bringing him packages of sweets from home, which he opened up while gloating at the Slytherin table. A barn owl brought Wee a small package from his father. He opened it up excitedly and showed them a smoke white glass ball about the size of a large marble.

"It's a Remembrall!" He explained, "Pa knows ah forgit things - thes tells ye if there's somethin' yoo've forgotten tae dae. swatch, if ye hauld it techt an' it turns red - och..." the Remembrall turned scarlet. "...it means yoo've forgotten somethin',"

Wee was trying to remember what he'd forgotten when Snotlout passed the Hufflepuff table and snatched the Remembrall out of his hand.

Jack and Mérida jumped to their feet. They were hoping for a reason to fight Snotlout, but Professor North, who could spot trouble faster than anyone else in the school, was there in a flash.

"Vhat's going on?"

"Snotlout's got my Remembrall Professor,"

Scowling, Snotlout dropped the Remembrall back on the table.

"Just looking." he said, and then backed away with Ruffnut and Tuffnut right behind him.

At three thirty that afternoon, Jack, Mérida, Astrid, and the other Gryffindors hurried down the front steps onto the grounds for their first flying lesson. It was a clear, breezy day, and the grass rippled under their feet as they marched down the sloping lawns toward a smooth, flat lawn on the opposite side of the grounds to the forbidden forest, whose trees were swaying darkly in the distance.

The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. Gobber their teacher, arrived not soon after.

"What are you all waiting for?" he barked. "Everyone get by a broomstick. Come on, 'urry up."

Jack glanced down at his broom. It was old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.

"'old out your right hand over your broom and say 'Up!'"

"UP!" everyone shouted.

Jack's broom jumped into his hand at once, but it was one of the few that did. Ruffnut's had simply rolled over on the ground, and Tuffnut's hadn't moved at all. Once everyone had managed to get their brooms to go up, Gobber then showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, and walked up and down the rows correcting their grips. Jack and Mérida were delighted when he told Snotlout he had been doing it wrong for years.

"Now when I blow my whistle, you kick off from the ground." said Gobber.

"Wait, aren't you going to teach us first?" asked Snotlout.

_Not so high and mighty now._ thought Jack.

"I believe in learning on the job. Now keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet and then come straight back down by leaning forward slightly. On my whistle - One - two - "

And the twins were off before the whistle had even touched moved.

"COME BACK YOU TWO!" he shouted, but they were rising straight up like a cork shot out of a bottle. Or at least they were until Ruffnut flew too far to the left and knocked Tuffnut and herself off their brooms. A thud and a nasty crack later and the twins were back on solid ground with their brooms headed off to the forbidden forest.

Gobber went over to check on the twins, "Broken wrist," he muttered looking at Tuffnut, "Probable concussion," he muttered looking at Ruffnut before turning to the rest of the class.

"No on' is going ta' move while I take these two to the hospital wing! You'll leave those broom where theya re if you know what's good for ya'!"

No sooner than they were out of earshot before Snotlout somehow pulled out Wee's Rememberall and said, "Now what to do with this?"

"Give it here Snotlout," Mérida commanded.

Completely ignoring Mérida he said, "I'll think I'll leave it somewhere for Dingwall to find- how bout up a tree?"

"Give it here!" Mérida shouted again, but Snotlout had leapt onto his broomstick and taken off. He hadn't been lying, he really could fly well. Hovering level with the tops of an oak tree he called, "Come get it Mérida!"

Mérida grabbed her broom.

"No!" shouted Astrid, catching her wrist. "Gobber said not to move - you'll get us all in trouble."

Looking back at Snotlout, Mérida said, "Ah think ye shood tell Jack,"

Jack had already mounted his broom and took off while the girls were fighting. Blood was pounding in his ears. He turned his broomstick sharply to face Snotlout in midair. Snotlout looked stunned. If Jack wasn't so mad right now, he'd he having the time of his life.

"Drop it," Jack called, "Or I'll knock you off that broom!"

"Oh yeah?" said Snotlout, sneering.

Jack knew what to do somehow. He leaned forward and tightly grasped the broom, and it shot towards Snotlout like a javelin. Snotlout only got of Jack's way in time to be hit with pebbles, courtesy of Mérida and Astrid, instead.

"No Ruffnut and Tuffnut to save your neck this time!" called Jack.

The same thought seemed to have struck Snotlout as one of Merida's pebbles hit the hand with the Remembrall in it, and it began to fall.

"Catch it if you can then!" He shouted, and Jack was off like a rocket.

He leaned forward slightly and pointed his broom handle down - and the next second he was gathering speed in a steep dive, racing after the ball - wind whistled in his ears, mingled with the screams of people watching - he stretched out his hand - a foot from the ground he caught it, just in time to pull his broom straight, and he toppled gently onto the grass with the Remembrall clutched safely in his fist.

"JACK PYRY!"

His heart sunk faster that he'd just dived. Professor North was running toward them.

"Never - in all my time at Hogvarts - "

Professor North was almost speechless with shock, and his glasses flashed furiously, "- how dare you - might have broken your neck-"

"It wasnae his faut Professor-."

"That's enough Miss. DunBroch,"

"But Snotlout - "

"That's enough, Miss. DunBroch. Now the three of you, follow me." Professor North said, gesturing to Astrid, Mérida, and Jack.

Jack caught sight of Snotlout's triumphant faces as he left. Professor North was sweeping along without even looking at them; they had to jog every few steps to keep up. Up the front steps, up the marble staircase, along the corridors, until they reached a classroom. He opened a door and poked his head inside.

"Excuse me Professor Mansnoozie, could I borrow Crood?"

_Crood?_ thought Jack, _What on earth is a Crood?_

Crood turned out to be a person, a muscular fifth year girl who came out of Sandy's class looking confused.

"Follow me you four," said professor North, and they marched up the corridor.

They were led into a classroom that was empty except for Peeves, who was busy writing rude words on the chalkboard.

"OUT PEEVES!" he barked. Peeves threw the chalk into a bin, and swept out cursing. Once he left, North turned to the four confused students.

"Pyry, Hofferson, Dunbroch, this is Eep Crood. Crood, I've found you rest of Quidditch team."

Eep's expression changed from confusion to delight.

"Are you serious Professor?"

"Absolutely. The boy's natural. I've never seen anything like it, its as though he speaks with the wind. And the girls have impeccable aim." then, gesturing to the Remembrall still in Jack's hand he said, "He caught that thing in hand after fifty foot dive. One of the girls knocked it out of Slytherin's boy's hand from the ground."

Eep was now looking like all her dreams had come true at once.

"Ever seen a game of Quidditch?" she asked all three of them excitedly.

"Crood's the captain of the Gryffindor team," Professor North explained.

"He's just the build for a Seeker too, light speedy. And they've got enough muscle to knock anyone off their broomstick." Esp said, sizing them all up. "Do each of you have broomsticks at home?"

Astrid and Mérida nodded without a second thought. Jack on the other hand-

"We'll have to get you a decent broom then, a Nimbus Two Thousand or a Cleansweep Seven I'd say."

"I shall speak to Professor Lunar about changing first year rule. We need better team than last year. _Flattened_ in that last match by Slytherin, I vouldn't look Bunny in face for weeks…"

Professor North peered sternly over his glasses at the three of them. "I vant to hear you're training hard, or I change mind about punishing you."

* * *

"You're joking,"

It was dinnertime. Jack and Mérida had just finished telling Hiccup what had happened with North.

"But first years never - you three must be the youngest players in about - "

" - a century." said Mérida, "Eep tauld me."

"We start training next week," said Jack. "Don't tell anyone. Eep wants to keep it a secret."

Hiccup just kept the same look of disbelief on his face.

"Sae anythin' excitin' happen tae ye.?" Mérida asked Hiccup.

"No, I'm just trying to figure out what was in the vault at Gringotts." said Hiccup. "Gobber brought us there before we got our books school. Said he had to get something for The Man in the Moon,"

"So you were there around the time of the break in. It doesn't mean -"

"Gobber emptied out the vault right before it got robbed. That's some coincidence."

Before either Jack or Mérida could respond, Snotlout came over.

"Having a last meal Jack?"

"You're a lot braver now that you're back on the ground." responded Jack coolly.

"I'd take you on anytime." stated Snotlout. "Tonight, if you want. Wizard's duel. Wands only - no contact. What's the matter? Never heard of a wizard's duel before?"

"Ay coorse he has," said Mérida, wheeling around. "I'm his second. Who's yoors?"

"Tuffnut. He just got out of the medical wing." he said. "Midnight alright? We'll meet in the trophy room; that's always unlocked."

When Snotlout had gone, Jack turned to Mérida and asked; "What is a Wizard's duel? And what do you mean you're my second?"

"Weel, a second's thaur tae tak' ower if ye die," said Mérida casually. Catching the look on Jack's face she added quickly, "But fowk only die in proper duels. Th' most ye an' Snotlout will be able tae dae is send sparks at each other."

"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?"

"Throw it awa' an' punch him," suggested Mérida.

"Excuse me,"

All three looked up. It was Astrid.

"Hey Astrid," Hiccup said nervously.

"Cannae a bodie eat in thes place in peace?" asked Mérida.

Astrid ignored her and spoke to Jack.

"I couldn't help overhearing what you and Snotlout were saying - "

"Ah bet yoo couldn't," muttered Mérida.

" - and you won't be wandering around the at night. You're going to get caught."

"An' nane ay yer business," retaliated Mérida.

"But - "

"Goodbye."

Leaning towards Hiccup, Jack whispered, "What's gotten into those two?"

Hiccup just shrugged.

It wasn't what Jack would call a perfect end to the day. There was a very good chance they were going to get caught by Weselton or Mrs. Norris. But Snotlout's sneering face kept looming up out of the darkness - and this was his chance to beat him face to face. He couldn't miss it.

* * *

At half past eleven, Jack met up with Mérida in the Gryffindor common room. They had almost reached the portrait hole when a voice spoke up from behind.

"I can't believe you're really going to do this."

It was Astrid, wearing a teal bathrobe and a frown.

"Yoo!" said Mérida furiously. "Go back tae bed!"

Mérida couldn't believe anyone could be so infuriating.

"Come on," she said to Jack. She pushed open the portrait of the Fat Lady and climbed through the hole.

Astrid wasn't about to give up that easily. she followed Jack and Mérida through the portrait, hissing like an angry goose.

"Don't you care about Gryffindor? I don't want Slytherin to win the house cup, and you'll lose all the points I got from Professor North for knowing about the switching spells!"

"Go awa'."

"Alright, but I warned you. You'll remember wat I said when you're on the train back home tomorrow. You're so -"

But they never go to find you what they were. Astrid had turned back to the portrait of the Fat Lady to get back inside and found she wasn't there. Mérida and Jack hadn't even reached the end of the hall before Astrid caught up to them.

"I'm coming with you,"

"No you're not." said Mérida.

"I'm not going to stay here and wait for Weselton to catch me? If he finds us I'll tell the truth, and you can back me up."

"Yoo've got some nerve-"

"Shut up!" Jack said sharply. "If we get caught I'll never rest until I learn that Curse of the Bogies Mor'du told us about and use it on you."

Astrid opened her mouth, but Jack hissed at her to be quiet and beckoned her and Mérida forward.

They made their way down corridors, and at every turn Jack expected them to run into Weselton or Mrs. Norris, but they were lucky. They sped up a staircase to the third floor and tiptoed toward the trophy room. Snotlout and Tuffnut weren't there yet. They edged along walls, keeping their eyes on the doors at either end of the room. Jack took out his wand in case Snotlout leapt in and stared at once.

"He's late, mebbe he chickened it," whispered Mérida.

Then a noise in the next room made them jump. Jack had only just raised his wand when he heard someone speak - and it wasn't Snotlout.

"Sniff around my sweet, they might be lurking in a corner."

It was Weselton talking to Mrs. Norris.

Jack waved madly at the other three to follow him out as quickly as possible; they scurried silently toward the door. Astrid's bathrobe had barely whipped around the corner when they hear Weselton enter the trophy room.

"They're in here somewhere," they heard him mutter, "probably hiding."

"This way!" Jack mouthed to the others, and they began to creep down a long hallway full of suits of armor. They could hear him getting closer and broke out into a full run for i, not bothering to look if Weselton was still following them. Eventually they ran through a hidden passageway and came out near the charms room.

"I think we lost him," Jack panted.

"I - told - you," Astrid gasped, "I told you."

"We've got tae get back tae th' tower," said Mérida.

"Snotlout tricked you," Astrid ranted, "He was never going to meet you - Weselton knew someone was going to be in the trophy room, Snotlout must have tipped him off."

"Och aye, och aye yoo're sae smart," quipped Mérida, "Can we just go?"

It wasn't going to be that simple. That hadn't even made it down the hall before a they ran into Peeves. He caught sight of them and gave a squeal of delight.

"Shut up Peeves - you'll get us thrown out."

He cackled.

"Wandering around at midnight, Ickle Firsties? Tut, tut, tut. Naughty, naughty, you'll get caughty."

"Not if you don't give us away,"

"Should tell Filch, I should," said Peeves in a saintly voice while his eyes told another story. "It's for your own good, you know."

"Get out of th' way," snapped Mérida, taking a swipe at Peeves.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" Peeves bellowed, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED DOWN THE CHARMS CORRIDOR!"

Ducking under Peevees, they ran for their lives, right to the end of the corridor where they slammed into a door - and it was locked. They could hear footsteps, Weselton was running as fast as he could towards Peeve's direction.

"Move over," snarled Astrid, she pulled out her wand and whispered, "Alohomora!"

The locked clicked open and the three piled inside and shut it quickly and pressed their ears against it.

"Which way did they go Peeves?" they heard Weselton ask.

"Say 'please'."

"Don't mess with me Peeves. _Where did they go_?"

"Shan't say nothing if you don't say please."

"Alright - please."

"NOTHING! Ha ha! told you I wouldn't say nothing if you didn't say please." and they heard the sound of Peeves whooshing away and Weselton cursing in rage.

"He thinks the doors locked," Jack whispered, "but I think will be okay - get off Mérida!" she had been tugging Jack's sleeve for the last-minute. "What?"

Jack turned around - and saw quite clearly, what. For a moment he was sure he had walked into a nightmare. This was too much on top of everything else that happened so far.

They weren't in a room as he had supposed. They were in a corridor. The forbidden corridor on the third floor. And now they knew why it was forbidden.

They were looking straight into the eyes of a two-headed dragon that filled the whole space from the ceiling to the floor. It was standing still, all four eyes staring at them, and Jack knew the only reason they weren't already dead was that their sudden appearance had taken it by surprise, and it was quickly getting over that.

Jack groped for the doorknob - between Weselton and death, he'd take Weselton.

They fell backward - Jack slammed door shut, and they ran back on the corridor. Weselton must have hurried off to look for them somewhere else, because they see him anywhere. All they wanted to do was put as much space between them and that monster as possible. They didn't stop running until they reach the portrait Lady seventh floor.

"Where on earth have you all been?" she asked, looking at their bathrobes hanging off their shoulders and their flushed, sweaty facs.

"Nevermind that - Pig snout, pig snout." Mérida panted and the portrait swung forward. They scrambled into the common room and collapsed, trembling.

It was a while before any of them said anything.

"Whit dae they hink their daein', keepin' a hin' loch 'at locked up in a school?" Mérida said finally.

By now Astrid had gotten both her breath and temper back.

"You don't use your eyes do you?" she snapped. "Didn't you see what it was standing on?"

"The floor?" Jack suggested. "I wasn't looking at its feet. I was too busy with the heads."

"It was standing on a trapdoor. It's obviously guarding something."

She stood up, glaring at them.

"Now if you don't mind, I'm going back to bed."

Mérida stared after her, her mouth open.

"Nae we don't mind," she said,"Yoo'd think we dragged her along."

But Astrid had given Jack something else to think about. Hiccup had said that Gobber had emptied out the ribbed vault for The Man on the Moon. If whatever it was important enough to steal, maybe it was important enough to guard with a two-headed dragon.


	5. Halloween

_**[Halloween, Chapter Five, reference pg. 163 - 180]**_

* * *

Snotlout couldn't believe his eyes when still saw that Jack and Mérida were still at Hogwarts next day; while Hiccup told Jack and Mérida anything else he could remember about the package that seemed to have moved from Gringotts to Hogwarts, and they spent a lot of time wondering what could possibly need to be protected by a dragon.

"It's either really valuable were really dangerous," said Mérida.

"Or both," said Hiccup.

But all they knew was about the object was that is was about two inches long.

Astrid was now refusing to speak to Jack and Mérida, and they saw this as an added bonus. All they really wanted was a way of getting back at Snotlout, and just the thing arrived in the mail about a week later.

As the owls flooded into the Great Hall as usual, everyone's attention was caught by three long, thin packages, each carried by six large screech owls. Jack was just and interested as everyone else when the owls soared down at the Gryffindor table and placed a package in front of Mérida, Astrid, and himself. They owls hardly flew out of the way when three other owls dropped a letter on top of each parcel.

Jack ripped open the letter first, which said:

DO NOT OPEN THIS PARCEL AT THE TABLE.

It contains your new Nimbus two thousand, but I don't want everybody knowing the three of you have one. Eep Crood will meet you tonight on the Quidditch field at seven o'clock for your first training session.

Professor N. North

"A Nimbus Two Thousand!" Hiccup moaned enviously.

They left the hall quickly, Jack wanting to unwrap his broomsticks in private before his first class, while Mérida and Astrid wanted to put their broomsticks safely in their dorms. But they found the way up stairs guard by Ruffnut and Tuffnut.

Snotlout seized the package from Jack and said, "That's a broomstick." he threw it back at Jack with a mixture of jealousy and spite, "You'll be in for it this time. First years aren't allowed to have brooms."

Mérida couldn't resist.

"It's not any old broomstick," she said, "its a Nimbus Two Thousand. What did you say yoo've got a' home Snotlout, a Comet two Sixty?" Mérida grinned at Jack, "Comet's look flashy, but they arenae in th' sam league as th' nimbus."

Before Snotlout could answer, Professor Toothiana appeared at his side. Toothiana was the youngest of their teachers by far, only a few years older than themselves.

"Not fighting, are we boys?" she asked.

"Jack and his friend have been sent broomsticks Professor," said Snotlout, clearing forgetting about Astrid's broomstick.

"That's right," Tooth said excitedly, "North told me all about the special circumstances. What model is it?"

"A Nimbus Two Thousand Professor," respond Jack, smiling. "And I owe it all to Snotlout."

Mérida and Jack quickly headed upstairs, mothering their laughter at Snotlout's obvious rage.

"So do you think it's a reward for breaking the rules?" came an angry voice from behind them. Astrid was now following them up the stairs to put her own broomstick away.

"I thought you weren't talking to us?" mumbled Jack.

"Ay, don't stop now." said Mérida, "It's doing us so much good."

"Besides," added Jack, "You made the team too."

Astrid marched ahead with her nose in the air.

* * *

Jack had a lot of trouble keeping his mind on his lessons that day. He couldn't stop thinking about the shepherd's hook shaped broomstick under his bed, which had gotten covered in a light coating of frost the moment he touched it. He bolted to dinner that evening without even noticing what he was eating, and then rushed upstairs to get ready for practice. At seven o'clock Jack, Mérida and Astrid left the castle and set off in the direction of the Quidditch field. Hundreds of seats were raised in a stand around the field so that the spectator were high enough to see what was going on. At either end of the field were three golden poles with hoops on the end.

Jack was too eager to fly again that he mounted his broomstick and kicked off the ground. He swooped in and out of goal posts and sped up and down the field. The Nimbus Two Thousand turned wherever he wanted with the slights touch.

"Hey Pyry come down!"

Eep had arrived. She was carrying a large wooden crate under her arm. Jack landed next to her.

"I see what North meant," said Eep, "You really are a natural. I'm just going to go over the rules today, then you'll be joining practice three times a week."

She opened the crate, inside there were four different sized balls.

"Quidditch is easy enough to understand. There are seven players on each team. Three of them are called Chasers." she said, taking out a bright red ball, the largest in the trunk. "This ball's the Quaffle. The Chasers throw it to each other and try to get it though one of the hoops to score a goal. There's another player on each side who's called the Keeper - I'm the Keeper for Gryffindor. I have to fly around our hoops and keep the other team from scoring."

After putting the Quaffle on the ground, Eep gave Astrid and Mérida two clubs.

"These two are Bludgers." she said gesturing to two identical balls, both jet black and smaller than the Quaffle. Jack noticed that they seemed to be straining to get out of the straps holding them in the box.

"Get ready," Eep warned the girls, and freed a Bludger.

At once, the ball rose high in the air and then pelted straight at Astrid's face. She swung at it with the bat to stop it from breaking her nose, and sent it straight off into the air - it zoomed around their heads and then shot at Eep, who dived on top of it and managed to pin it to the ground. Once it was safely back in the create, she said: "The bludgers rocket around, trying to knock players off their brooms. That's why you have two Beaters on each team - that's you two - it's your job to keep us from getting hit and send them toward the other team."

"Have the Bludgers ever killed anyone?" Jack asked, hoping he sounded offhand.

"Never at Hogwarts. We've had a few broken jaws but nothing worse than that. Now the last member of the team is the Seeker. That's you." Eep said to Jack, taking the fourth ball out of the create."This is the golden Snitch, and it's the most important ball. It's very hard to catch because it's so fast and hard to see. It's the Seeker's job to catch it. You've got to weave in and out of the Chasers, Beaters, Bludgers and Quaffle to get it before the other team's Seeker, because which ever one of you catch it first wins his team an extra hundred and fifty points, so it's almost always a guaranteed win. A game of Quidditch only ends when the Snitch is caught, so it can go on for ages - I think the record is three months, they had to keep bringing on subs so the layers could get some sleep."

"Well that's it. Any questions?"

* * *

Perhaps it was because he was so busy with Quidditch and homework, but Jack hardly could believe he'd already been at Hogwarts for two months. His lessons, too, were becoming more interesting now that they had mastered the basics.

On Halloween morning they woke to the delicious smell of baking wafting through the halls. Even better, Professor Mansnoozie decided that they were ready to start making things fly since they heard he make Rapunzel's chameleon fly around the classroom. Professor Mansnoozie put the class into pairs to practice. Jack had wound up being paired with one of the boy's who melted his cauldron on the first day of Potions, while Mérida got paired with Astrid. It was hard to tell who this angered more.

It was a lot harder than it looked. Professor Mansnoozie was constantly showing the class the proper wrist movement from his stack of books, and pointing to the words 'swish and flick' on the board behind him. The boy Jack was working with somehow managed to set their feather on fire and he had to put it out with his hat.

Mérida wasn't have anymore luck.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" she shouted over and over, waving her arms around like a windmill.

"You're saying it wrong," Astrid snapped. "It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long."

"Dae it 'en, if yoo're sae clever." snarled Mérida.

Astrid rolled up the sleeves of her gown, flicked her wand, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Their feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above their heads.

Professor Mansnoozie then proceeded to come over clapping while doing a little dance.

Mérida was in a very bad mood by the end of class.

* * *

"Hoo did ye stain livin' in th' sam village wi' 'er?" Mérida asked Hiccup during dinner, "She's unbearable!"

"She's not so bad once you get to know her," muttered Hiccup.

"'Not so bad'?" said Jack, "She's been mean to us since day one. Do you like her or something?"

"What - No," said a very flustered Hiccup.

"Ye do like 'er!" exclaimed Mérida, clearly forgetting how angry she was.

"I don't know what- " Hiccup was cut off when Professor Mor'du came sprinting into the hall, terror on his face.

"Troll - in the dungeons - thought you ought to know," he said before collapsing on the floor.

There was an uproar. It took several purple firecrackers from Professor Chandresh's wand to bring silence.

"Prefects," he rumbled, "Lead your houses back to the dormitories immediately!"

"How could a troll get in?" Jack asked Mérida as they climbed the stairs.

"Dornt ask me, they're supposed tae be really stupid." she responded, "Maybe Peeves lit it in as a joke?"

They passed different groups of people hurrying in different directions. As they made their way through a crowd of confused Hufflepuffs, Hiccup suddenly grabbed Jack's arm.

"Rapunzel," he Hiccup whispered.

"What about her?"

"She doesn't know about the troll," Mérida raised an eyebrow.

"Bunny was being extra harsh in potions." Hiccup explained, "She went to the bathroom halfway through and never came back."

"Oh alright," Mérida whispered, "But we better not get in any trouble."

Ducking down, they joined the Hufflepuffs going the other way, slipped down a deserted side hall, and hurried off toward the girls' bathroom.

"Bunny!" Hissed Mérida, pulling Hiccup behind a large stone griffin.

"What's he doing?" Jack whispered, "Why isn't he in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?"

"Beats me," Hiccup responded.

Quietly as possible, they crept along the next corridor after Bunny's fading footsteps.

"He's heading for the third floor," jack said, but Mérida held up her hand.

"Can you smell that?"

Jack sniffed and a foul stench reached his nostrils, a mixture of old socks and the kind of pubic bathroom no one seems to clean.

And then they heard it - a low grunting, and the shuffling footfalls of gigantic feet. Hiccup pointed - at the end of a passage to the left, something huge was moving toward them. They shrank into the shadows and watched as it emerged into a patch of moonlight. Twelve feet tall, it's skin was a dull, granite grey, it's lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut. It had short legs as thick as tree trunks with flat , horny feet. The smell coming from it was incredible. It was holding a Huge wooden club, which it dragged on the floor because it's arms were so long.

The troll stopped next to a doorway and peered inside. it waggled its long ears, making up its' tiny mind, then slouched into the room.

"The key's in the lock," Jack muttered, "We could lock it in."

"Good idea," Hiccup said nervously.

They edged toward the open door, praying the troll wasn't about to come out if it. With one great leap the three of them managed to grab the key, slam the door, and lock it.

"Yes!"

Flushed with their victory, they started to run back up the passage, but as they reached the corner they heard a high, petrified scream - and it was coming from the chamber they'd just locked up.

"Oh no," said Hiccup, as pale as the Bloody Baron.

"It's th' girl's bathroom!" Mérida gasped.

"Rapunzel!" shouted Jack.

Wheeling around, they sprinted back to the door and turned the key, fumbling in their panic. Jack pulled the door open and they ran inside.

Rapunzel was shrinking against the wall, looking as if she was about to faint. The troll was advancing on her, knocking the skinks off the wall as he went.

"Confuse it!" Jack said desperately to his friends, and, seizing a tap, he threw it as hard as he could against the wall.

The troll stopped a few feet from Rapunzel. It lumbered around, blinking stupidly, to see what had made the noise. Its mean little eyes saw Jack. It hesitated, then ran at him instead, lifting its club as it went.

"Oy! Over here!" Yelled Mérida from the other side of the room, as she threw a metal pipe at it. The troll didn't even seem to notice the pipe hitting its shoulder, but it heard the yell and paused again, turning its ugly snout toward Mérida.

"Come on, run, run!" Hiccup yelled at Rapunzel, trying to pull her toward the door, but she couldn't move, she was still flat against the wall, her mouth open with terror.

The shouting and the echos seemed to be driving the troll berserk. It roared again and rat at Mérida, who was nearest and had no way to escape.

Hiccup then ran toward the troll, and jumped upon its back, and somehow managed to fasten his arms around its neck. The troll couldn't feel Hiccup hanging there, but it noticed when Hiccup's wand made its way up it's nose. Howling with pain, the troll twisted and flailed its club, with Hiccup clinging on for dear life; and second the troll was going to rip him off or hit him with its club. Rapunzel had sunk to the floor with fright; Mérida pulled out her wand - not knowing what she was going to do and said the first spell that came into her head.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

The club flew of the troll's hand, rose high up into the air, turned over - and dropped, with a sickening crack into its owner's head. The troll swayed on the spot and then fell flat on its face, with a thud that made the room tremble. Hiccup got to his feet. He was shaking and out of breath. Media as standing there with her wand still raised, staring at what she had done.

It was Rapunzel who spoke first.

"Is it - dead?"

"I don't think so," said Jack, "I think it's just been knocked out."

As Hiccup bent down and pulled his wand out of the troll's nose a slamming and loud footsteps made the four of them look up. They hadn't realized what a racket they had made, but of course someone downstairs must have heard the crashes and the trolls roars. A moment later Professor North came into the room, closely followed by Bunny, with Mor'du not far behind.

Bunny bent over the troll, North was looking at Mérida and Jack. Jack had never seen him look so angry. His lips were as shite as his beard.

"Vhat on earth vere you thinking?" said North, with cold fury in his voice. Jack looked at Hiccup, who was ignored, standing with his wand in the air. "You're lucky you veren't killed. Vhy aren't you in dormitory?"

Bunny gave Jack a swift, piercing look, then a small voice came out of the shadows.

"Please, Professor North - they were looking for me."

"Miss Conera!"

Rapunzel had managed to get to her feet.

"I went looking for the troll because I - I thought I could deal with it on my own - you know, because I've read all about them."

Hiccup dropped his wand. Rapunzel Conera telling a downright lie to a teacher?

"If they hadn't found me, I'd be dead now. Hiccup stuck his wand up its nose and Mérida knocked it out with its own club while Jack distracted it. They didn't have time to come and get anyone. It was about to finish me off when they arrived."

Jack, Mérida and hiccup tried to look as though this story wasn't new to them.

"Vell - in that case..." Began Professor North, staring at the three of them this time, and then turning back to Rapunzel. "Miss Conera, how vould you think of taking mountain troll on own?"

Rapunzel hung her head. Hiccup was speechless. Rapunzel was the last person to do anything against the rules, well, except for Astrid. It was like Bunny had started handing out sweets!

"Five points vill be taken from Ravenclaw for this," said Professor North, "I'm very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt you'd better head off to the Ravenclaw dormitories. Students are finishing off the feasts in houses."

Rapunzel left.

North then turned to Jack, Mérida, and Hiccup.

"Vell, you vere lucky, not many first years could have taken on full-grown mountain troll. You each vin your house five points. The Man on the Moon will be informed of this. You may go."

They hurried out of the bathroom and headed back toward their individual dorms. Jack and Mérida didn't speak until they were two floors up.

"We shoods hae gotten mair than fife points,"

"Ten," Jack said, "We each got five points for saving Rapunzel."

"She micht nae hae needed savin' if we hadnae locked 'at hin' in their wi' 'er," admitted Mérida.

They had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady

"Pig snout," they said in unison.

And that was how Rapunzel Conera became their friend.


	6. Quidditch

_**[Quidditch, Chapter Six, reference pg. 180-194]**_

* * *

As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy gray and they lake like chilled steel. every morning the ground was covered in frost. Gobber could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting the broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin coat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaver skin boots.

The Quidditch season had begun. On Saturday, Jack, Mérida, and Astrid would be playing in their first match against the Slytherin team. Hardly anyone had seen them play because Eep wanted to keep the three of them secret. But the news that three first years would be playing this year got out anyway, and Jack didn't know what was worse - people telling him he'd be great, or people telling him they'd be running around underneath him with a mattress.

Mérida and Jack were glad to have Rapunzel as a friend now. They had no idea how they would have gotten through all their homework without her with all the last-minute Quidditch practice Eep was making them do. She had also lent Hiccup Quidditch Through the Ages, which turned out to be a very interesting read.

Rapunzel had become less nervous about breaking rules since being saved from the troll, and the day before Jack's first Quidditch match the four of them were out in the freezing courtyard during break; she had conjured up a bright blue fire that could be carried around in a jam jar. They were standing with their backs to it, getting warm, when Bunny crossed the yard. Hiccup noticed that Bunny was limping. Jack, Mérida, Hiccup and Rapunzel moved closer to the fire to block it from view. Unfortunately, something about them caught Bunny's eye anyway.

"What's that you've got there Haddock?"

Hiccup showed him Rapunzel's book.

"Library books are not to be taken outside the school," said Bunny. "Give it to me. Five points from Hufflepuff."

"He's just making that rule up," Hiccup muttered angrily as Bunny limped away. "Wonder what's wrong with his leg?"

"Ah hope it's hurtin' heem," said Mérida bitterly.

The Hufflepuff common room was very noisy that evening, and Hiccup felt restless. He wanted Quidditch Through the Ages back before meeting the others in the library, and he thought that if he could catch Bunny with another teacher around, Hiccup could get the book back.

He made his way down to the staff room and knocked. There was no answer. He knocked again. Nothing.

Perhaps Bunny had left the book in there? It was worth a shot. Hiccup pushed the door ajar and peered inside. Bunny and Weselton were inside. Bunny was holding his robes above his knee. One of his legs was bloody and mangled. Weselton was handing Bunny bandages.

"Blasted thing," Bunny was saying, "How are you supposed to keep your eyes on both heads at once?"

Hiccup tried to shut the door quietly, but -

"HADDOCK!"

Bunny's face was twisted with fury as he dropped his robes to hide his leg.

"I just wondered if I could have my book back,"

"GET OUT! OUT!"

Hiccup left before Bunny could take anymore points from Hufflepuff, and ran to the library.

"Whit happened tae ye?" Mérida asked as Hiccup joined them.

In a low whisper, Hiccup told them what'd he'd seen.

"You know what this means?" he finished breathlessly. "He tried to get past that two-headed dragon on Halloween! That's where he was going when we saw him - he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet he let that troll in, to make a diversion!"

Rapunzel's eyes went wide.

"No - he wouldn't," she said, "I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try to steal something The Man on the Moon wa keeping safe."

"Dae ye hink teachers ur saints ur somethin'?" Mérida snapped. "Ahwi' Hiccup. Ah wooldnae pit anythin' pest Bunny. But what's he after?"

* * *

The next morning was bright and cold. The Great Hall was full of the delicious smell of fried sausages and the chatter of everyone looking forward to a good Quidditch match.

"You've got to eat something,"

"I don't want anything,"

"Bit of toast?" asked Mérida.

"I'm not hungry."

Jack felt terrible. In an hour's time he'd be walking onto the field.

"Jack you need your strength," said Astrid. "Seekers are always the ones to get clobbered by the other team, and I am not losing because of _you_."

Jack obediently picked up some toast, and took a bite.

By eleven o'clock the whole school was in the stands around the Quidditch field. Many of whom had binoculars. As high as the seats were, it was still difficult to see what was going on sometimes. Meanwhile, Jack and the rest of the Gryffindor team walked onto the field.

Gobber was refereeing. He stood in the middle of the field waiting for the two teams, broom in hand.

"Mount your brooms,"

Jack clambered onto his Nimbus Two Thousand.

Gobber gave a loud blast on his whistle and fourteen brooms rose up into the air.

"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor - what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive too-"

"RIDER!"

"Sorry, Professor."

A Gryffindor third year, Flynn Rider, was doing commentary for the match, closely watched by professor North.

"A nice pass to Alicia Spinnet, back to Johnson and - no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes - Flint flying like an eagle up there - he's going to sc - no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Eep and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle - that's Chaser Kaiter Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around flint, off up the field and - OUCH - that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger - Quaffle taken by the Slytherins - that's Adrian Pucey speeding off towards the goal post, but he's blocked by a Bludger - sent his way by Astrid Hofferson - and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead of her - she's really flying - doges a speeding Bluger - the goal posts are ahead - COME ON ANGELINA - Keeper Bletchley dives - misses - GRYFFINDOR"S SCORE!"

Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.

Way above them, Jack was gliding over the game, squinting about for some sign of the Snitch. When Angelina had scored, Jack had done a couple of loops to get out his excitement. Now he had to go back to staring around for the Snitch.

"Slytherin in possession," Flynn was saying, "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, Bell, and speeds toward the - wait - WAS THAT THE SNITCH?"

Jack saw it. In a great rush of excitement he dived after the streak of gold. The Slytherin Seeker had seen it too, and it was a made dash as to see who would get it first. Neck and neck they hurtled after the Snitch - all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing and had hung in midair to watch.

Jack was faster than the Slytherin, he could see the round ball darting up ahead and put on an extra bit of speed -

WHAM! A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below - a Slytherin had blocked Jack on purpose, and Jack's broom had spun off course, with Jack holding on for dear life.

"FOUL!" Screamed everyone but he Slytherins in unison, it seemed there was a favorite to win, and in all the confusion, the Snitch had disappeared from sight again, and Flynn was finding it hard not to take sides.

"So after that obvious bit of cheating - "

"RIDER!" growled North.

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul - "

"Rider I am warning you,"

"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinner, and we continue to play, Gryffindor still in possession."

It was as Jack dodged another Bludger that his broom gave a sudden lurch. Then it happened again, as though the broom was trying to buck him off. Jack tried to turn back toward the Gryffindor goal posts and then realized that his broom was completely out of his control. He couldn't turn it, much less direct it at all. It was zigzagging through the air, and every now and then making violent sloshing movements that almost threw him clean off.

Flynn was still commentating.

"Slytherin in possession - Flint with the Quaffle - passes Spinnet - passes Bell - hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose - only joking Professor - Slytherins score -"

No one seemed to have noticed that Jack's broom was acting strangely. It was carrying him higher, away from the game, jerking and twitching as it went. Suddenly, people were pointing up at Jack all over the stands. His broom had started to roll over and over, with Jack just managing to hold on. The whole crowd gasped when Jack's broom finally managed to throw him off. Jack was now Dangling from it, holding on with only one hand.

"Did something happen when Flit blocked him?" whispered Rapunzel, who had somehow managed to sneak into Hufflepuff seating, worriedly.

"I don't think so," Hiccup responded, looking up at Jack through his binoculars, his voice shaking. "Nothing can interfere with a broomstick except Dark magic - "

At the mention of Dark magic, Rapunzel had grabbed Hiccup's binoculars, nearly choking him, and started looking frantically at the crowd.

"What are you doing?" Hiccup said, his voice hoarse.

"Bunny - look," Rapunzel gasped.

Hiccup took back his binoculars. Bunny was in the middle of the stands opposite them. He had his eyes fixed on Jack and was muttering nonstop under his breath.

"He's doing something, jinxing the broom," whispered Rapunzel.

"What should we do?"

"Leave it to me," and with that, Rapunzel was off.

Hiccup turned his binoculars back on Jack. His now ice covered broom was vibrating so hard, it was almost impossible for him to hang on much longer. The whole crowd was on its feet, terrified, as Mérida tried to pull Jack safely onto her broom, without any success. It wasn't long before Astrid flew over to try to help, but it was no good - every time they got near him, Jack's broom would go higher. They dropped lower and circled beneath him, obviously hoping to catch him if he fell. Flint seized the Quaffle and scored five more times without anyone noticing.

Rapunzel had found her way across to the stand where Bunny stood, and was now racing along the row behind him; she didn't even stop to say sorry when she knocked Professor Mor'du into the row in front of him. Reaching Bunnymund, she crouched down, pulled out her wand, and whispered a few well-chosen words. Bright blue flames shot out of her wand onto the hem of Bunny's robes. It took almost thirty seconds for Bunny to realize that he was on fire. After he started to panic, Rapunzel scooped the fire into a little jar in her pocket, and scrambled back to the Hufflepuff seating.

Up in the air, Jack suddenly got control of his broom back and quickly swung himself back on, and then suddenly darted toward the ground, hand over his mouth. After Jack hit the ground he coughed, and held something gold up over his head triumphantly.

"I've got the Snitch!" he shouted, and the game ended in complete confusion.

"He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it!" Flint was still howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference - Jack hadn't broken any rules and Flynn Rider was happily shouting the results - Gryffindor has won by one hundred and seventy points to sixty. Jack heard none of this, he was off in Gobber's hut with Mérida, Rapunzel, and Hiccup.

"It was Bunny," Hiccup explained, "Rapunzel and I saw him. he was cursing your broom stick!"

"Rubbish," Gobber said, "Why would Bunny do somethin' like that?"

"Because the tried to get passed the two-headed dragon on Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding."

Gobber stared at them.

"How do you know about the Hideous Zippleback?"

"The what?"

"Just one of the dragons from Berk. I lent him to The Man on the Moon to guard the -"

"Yes?" Jack asked eagerly.

"Now, don't ask me anymore," Gobber said gruffly, "That's top-secret, that is."

"But Bunny's trying to steal it." Rapunzel begged.

"Bunnymund's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd wouldn't do that."

"Then wa did he jist try tae kill Jack?" cried Mérida.

There was a pause and then Rapunzel shouted, "I know a jinx when I see one, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Bunny wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!"

"I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong!" said Gobber hotly, "I don' know why Jack's broom acted like that, but Bunny wouldn't try an' kill a student! Now listen to me, all four of yeh - yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. You forget about that dragon, an' you forget about what it's guarding, that's between Astennu and Nicolas Flamel - "

"Aha!" said Hiccup, "so there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved!"

Gobber look furious with himself.


	7. The Mirror of Erised

**_[The Mirror of Erised, Chapter Seven, reference pg. 194 - 214]_**

* * *

Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself covered in several feet of snow. The twins had bewitched a countless number of snowballs to follow Mor'du around and hit him when he wasn't looking. No one could wait for the holidays to start. While the Gryffindor common room and the great hall had roaring fires, the drafty corridors had become icy and a bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms. Worst of all was Bunnymund's class down in the dungeons, where the only heat came from the fires under their cauldrons.

"I sure feel sorry for everyone who's staying over the holidays," Snotlout said, carrying his bags out of the castle, "I can't believe that some people aren't wanted in their family's holiday celebration." His eyes were locked on Hiccup as he spoke.

"I'll get him," Hiccup said grinding his teeth, "One of these days I'll get him."

"Don't let him get to you," Jack said chuckling, "His attention span can't be that long, he'll lose interest eventually."

"Like how you ignore Bunny?"

"That rabbit has it out for me!" Jack defended, "He also has a much longer attention span."

Professor North had gone around the week before, making a list of who would be staying for the holidays, and Hiccup had signed up at once. He didn't want to spend any more time with his cousin than he had too. Rapunzel and Mérida had wanted to stay with them, but Merida's mother wouldn't allow it, and Rapunzel was too nervous to even ask.

Still laughing, Hiccup said, "Come on, we should probably continue our search in the library while everyone's busy getting ready for Snoggletog,"

Jack followed Hiccup to the library silently. After living with six viking teens for four months, Jack had learned some things were better left unasked.

Ever since Gobber mentioned Nicolas Flamel; Rapunzel, Hiccup, Mérida, and Jack had gone through every book they could think of to try to figure out who he was. So Hiccup and Rapunzel looked through books while Mérida and Jack tried to get into the restricted section of the library since they had no idea what Nicholas Flamel would be in a book for. Neither side had any results so far; as he wasn't in Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century, or Notable Magical Figures of Our Time, or Important Modern Magical Discoveries, and A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry. In order to get into the Restricted Section you needed a signed note from a teacher, and Mérida and Jack didn't have a chance at getting one of those. Couple that with the decision not to ask any of the Professors about it so Bunny wouldn't find out, things got ten times harder. What they needed was a nice long search without the librarian breathing down their necks.

Once the rest of the students had left for the holidays, Hiccup and Jack were having much too good of a time to think much about Flamel. They spent their days in one of their common rooms, as neither was particularly hard to get into as long as you knew what to do, and would plot ways to get Snotlout expelled, even though they knew none of them would work. Hiccup had also started teaching Jack wizard chess. Hiccup's set was either every old, or had been set on fire by a stray dragon. Jack didn't dare ask.

Jack played with pieces Rapunzel had left from a previous match with Hiccup, each piece covered in the most intricate little paintings Jack had ever seen. Unfortunately for him, they also had the worst trust issues Jack had ever seen. They kept shouting different bits of advice at him: "Don't send me there, can't you see his knight? Send him, we can afford to lose him." It was like they were possessed by the twins.

By Christmas Eve, Jack and the other few students who remained at Hogwarts had moved into the Hufflepuff dorms. Being underground, it was a lot warmer than up in the towers with wind and snow invading the space every chance it got. But because of poor planning, all the presents were delivered to the students typical rooms, and everyone had to enter the freezing spaces to get them. Jack, who didn't expect any; as he was living alone after all, was pleasantly surprised to find four packages at his bedside. A box of Chocolate Frogs form Hiccup, a box of Every Flavor Beans from Mérida, and a set of chess pieces with more intricate paintings from Rapunzel.

_Where does she find the time for this?_ Jack thought to himself.

That left only the last package. Picking it up, Jack noticed it was very light. When he unwrapped it something silvery grey slithered to the floor.

"I've heard of those!" Hiccup gasped.

"What is it?"

Jack picked the shiny, silvery cloth off the floor. It was strange to touch, like water woven into the material.

"It's an invisibility cloak," Hiccup said, the look of awe never leaving his face. "Try it on."

Jack threw it around his shoulders and Hiccup gasped.

"It is! Look down!"

Jack looked down at his feet, but they were gone. He dashed to the mirror. Sure enough, his reflection consisted of only his head suspended in midair. He pulled the cloak over his head and his reflection was gone completely.

"There's a note!" said Hiccup, bending down and picking up a small sheet of paper. Written in narrow, loopy writing was:

_Use it well._

There was no signature.

* * *

Jack had never had such a Christmas dinner in his life. A hundred fat, roasted turkeys, mountains of roast and boiled potatoes; platters of chipolatas; tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce - and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table. These little party favors would go off with a blast like a cannon and engulfed those around them in a cloud of blue smoke. Flaming Christmas puddings followed the turkey. Hiccup nearly broke his teeth on the silver sickle embedded in his slice.

Jack and Hiccup spent the afternoon having a furious snowball fight on the grounds with the few other students that remained. Then, cold, wet, and gasping for breath, they returned to the warmth of the Hufflepuff common room, where Jack broke in his new chess set by losing spectacularly to Hiccup. Granted, he didn't think he would have lost so badly if the set would trust him. After a meal of turkey sandwiches, crumpets, trifle, and Christmas cake, everyone could finally head back to their own dooms, as a locking spell had been placed on all the window shutters.

Not until Jack was back in his own bed did he think about the cloak residing under it. He slipped out of bed and wrapped the cloak around himself. All of Hogwarts was open to him in this cloak. Excitement flooded through him as he stood there in the dark silence. He could go anywhere in this, and no one would ever know. Jack crept out of the dormitory, down the stairs, across the common room, and climbed out of the portrait.

"Who's there?" squeaked the Fat Lady. Jack just kept walking until he got to the end of the hall, and then he stopped, not quite sure where to go. And then it hit him: the Restricted Section in the library. He'd be able to read as long as he liked, as long as it took to find out who Flamel was.

* * *

The library was pitch-black when he arrived. Jack lit a lamp he found on the desk, and made his way along the rows of books. The titles of these books didn't tell him much. Their peeling, faded letters were in a language he didn't understand, and some had no title at all. One even had a stain that looked far too much like blood. Maybe he was imagining it, but Jack could have sworn that there was a whispering coming from the books, as though they knew someone was there who shouldn't be.

Setting the lamp down on the floor, Jack looked along the bottom of the nearest shelf for an interesting looking book. A large black and silver volume caught his eye. Jack struggled to pull it out and then set it on his knee, letting it fall open.

A piercing shriek split the silence - the book was screaming! Jack snapped it shut, but the sound was only muffled. He stumbled backward and knocked over the lamp, which went out at once. Panicking from the sound of impending footfalls, he stuffed the book back into the shelf, and ran for it. Jack passed Mr. Weselton in the doorway, slipping under his outstretched arm and ran up the corridor, with the book still shrieking. Jack didn't stop running until he saw a suit of armor. He didn't recognize where he was at all. Jack knew there was a suit of armor near the kitchens, but he had to have been five whole floors above them.

"You asked me to come directly to you if anyone was wandering around at night, and somebody's been in the library - in the Restricted Section!"

Jack felt the blood drain out his face. Wherever he was, Weselton must know a shortcut, because his voice was getting louder, and to his horror, Bunny replied, "Well they can't be far, we'll catch them."

Jack was rooted to the spot as Mr. Weselton and Bunnymund came around the corner. They couldn't see him, but if they came much closer they'd walk right into him. He backed away as quietly as he could, heading for an ajar door to his left. He squeezed through it, holding his breath and managed to get into the room without anyone noticing. It wasn't until a few seconds after the professors had passed by that Jack noticed anything about the room he had hidden in.

It looked like an unused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls, but propped against the wall facing him was something that didn't look as if it belonged there. It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. The inscription carved at the top read: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi. Jack walked closer to the mirror, and proceeded to stand in front of it.

Jack had to cover his mouth with his hands to keep from screaming, and whirled around. In the mirror a whole crowd of people were standing behind him. But the room was empty. Breathing heavy, he turned back to the mirror, pulling off the cloak. There he was, white and scared, and behind him were at least ten others. Jack looked over his shoulder - but still no one was there. He looked in the mirror again. A woman was standing right behind him, smiling and waving. He reached out a hand and felt the air behind him. If she were really there, he would have touched her, their reflections were so close together, but he felt only air - she and the others only existed in the mirror.

She was a very pretty woman. She had dark brown hair and her eyes - her eye are just like mine, Jack thought, edging a little closer to the glass. Brown instead of blue, but exactly the same shape, but then he noticed that she was crying; smiling, but crying at the same time. The tall, thin, brown-haired man standing next to her put his arm around her. He was holding hands with a young girl next to him, who Jack had to assume to be their daughter. Jack was so close to the mirror now that his nose was nearly touching that of his reflection.

They just looked at him, smiling. And slowly, Jack looked into the faces of the other people in the mirror, and saw other pairs of eyes like his, other noses like his - Jack was staring at his family, a family he didn't know he had.

The Pyrys smiled and waved at Jack and he stared back at them, longing to remember even the smallest tidbit about them, his hands pressed flat against the glass as though he was hoping to fall right through it and reach them. He had an ache inside him, half joy, half sadness.

How long he stood there, he didn't know. The reflections did not fade and he looked until a distant noise brought him back to his senses. He couldn't stay here, he had to find his way back to bed. He tore his eyes away from his family's faces, whispered, "I'll come back," and hurried from the room.

* * *

"You think you saw what?" Hiccup asked.

"My family!" Jack said excitedly, "At least I think they were,"

"And you can't remember any of them?"

"No," Jack sighed, "You can come tonight, I'm going back."

"Sure, maybe I'll recognize someone." Hiccup agreed. "Stinks about not finding Flamel though. Have some bacon or something, why aren't you eating anything?"

Jack couldn't eat. He had seen his parents and would be seeing them again tonight. He had almost forgotten about Flamel. It just didn't seem every important anymore. Who cared about the two-headed dragon and what it was guarding? What did it matter if Bunny got whatever it was?

"Are you alright?" Hiccup asked.

* * *

What Jack feared the most was that he might not be able to find the room with the mirror again. With Hiccup under the clock, they had to walk slower than the night before. They tried retracing Jack's route from the library, wandering around the dark passageways for nearly an hour.

"If we haven't found it by now, we probably aren't going to." Hiccup said. "Lets go back."

"NO!" hissed Jack. "I know it's here somewhere."

They passed the ghost of a tall witch gliding in the opposite direction, but saw no one else. Just as Hiccup tried to turn them around, Jack spotted the suit of armor.

"It's here - just here - YES!"

They pushed the door open. Jack dropped the cloak from around his shoulders and ran to the mirror. There they were. His mother, father, and sister beamed at the sight of him.

"See?" Jack whispered.

"I can't see anything."

"Look! Look at them all….there are loads of them…."

"I can only see you."

"Sand where I am then,"

Jack stepped aside, but with Hiccup in front of the mirror, he couldn't see his family anymore, just Hiccup in his pajamas. Hiccup, however, was transfixed at his image.

"Look at me!"

"What?"

"I look older, and I'm head boy!"

"What?"

"I'm wearing the badge and everything - and I'm holding the house cup and the Quidditch cup - I'm Quidditch captain too!"

Hiccup tore his eyes away from the mirror for a second.

"Do you think this mirror shows the future?"

"How can it? I can't remember anything about my family - let me have another look - "

"You had it to yourself all last night."

"You're only holding the house cup. I want to see my family."

"Don't push me -"

A sudden noise outside in the hall put an end to their argument. They hadn't realized how loudly they had been talking. Hiccup threw the cloak back over them as the luminous eyes of Mrs. Norris came around the door. Jack and Hiccup stood as still as possible, and after what felt like ages, she left.

"This isn't safe - she might have gone for Weselton, I bet she heard us."

And Hiccup pulled Jack out of the room.

* * *

The snow still hadn't melted the next morning.

"Want to play chess?" asked Hiccup.

"No."

"Why don't we go visit Gobber?"

"No...you go…."

"I know what you're thinking about Jack. Don't go back tonight."

"Why not?"

"I don't know, I've just got a bad feeling about it - and you've had too many close calls already. Weselton, Bunny, and Mrs. Norris are wandering around. So what if they can't see you? What if they walk into you? What if you knock something over?"

"You sound like Rapunzel."

"I'm serious Jack."

But Jack was going to get back in front of that mirror, and Hiccup couldn't stop him.

That night he found his way faster than before. Jack was walking so fast he knew he was making more noise than he should, but he didn't care.

And there were his family again. Jack sank down to sit on the floor in front of the mirror. There was nothing to stop him from staying here all night with his family. Nothing at all.

"So - back again Jack?"

Jack felt as though his insides had turned to ice. He looked behind him. Sitting on one of the desks by the wall was Tasar Lunar. Jack must have walked straight past him, so desperate to get to the mirror he hadn't noticed him.

"I - I didn't see you."

"Strange how nearsighted being invisible can make you," Lunar said, and Jack was relieved to see that he was smiling.

"So," Lunar continued, slipping off the desk to sit on the floor with Jack, "you have discover the Mirror of Erised."

"I didn't know it was called that."

"But I expected you have realized what it does?"

"It - well - it shows me my family - "

"And it showed Hiccup himself as head boy."

"How did you know -"

"I don't need a cloak to become invisible Jack." said Lunar gently. "Can you think of what the Mirror of Erised shows us all?"

Jack shook his head.

"Let me explain. This happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror like a normal mirror, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?"

Jack thought, then he said slowly, "It shows us that we want….whatever we want…."

"Yes and no," Lunar said quietly. "It shows us nothing but the deepest, most desperate desires of our hearts. You who can't remember you family, see them standing around you. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock, who has always been less than what is expected of him, sees himself finally living up to his father's expectations. However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible. The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow Jack, and I ask you not to go looking or it again. If you ever do run across it, you will now be prepared. it does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that. Now, why don't you put that admirable clak back on and get off to bed?"

Jack stood up.

"Professor Lunar? Can I ask you something?"

"Obviously you've just done so," Lunar smiled. "You may ask me one more thing, however."

"What do you see when you look into the mirror?"

"I see myself with a pair of thick woolen socks."

Jack stared.

"Once can never have enough socks,"


	8. Nicolas Flamel

_**[Nicholas Flamel, Chapter Eight, reference pg. 215 - 228]**_

* * *

Professor Lunar had convinced Jack not to go looking for the Mirror of Erised again, and for the rest of the holidays the invisibility cloak stayed at the bottom of his trunk. Jack wished he could forget what he'd seen in the mirror, but he couldn't. He started having nightmares. Over and over again he dreamed that he was on a frozen lake with the girl, and she would fall through the ice every time.

"Professor Lunar was right, that mirror did mess with your head." said Hiccup, after learning that Jack wasn't sleeping.

Rapunzel, who had come back the day before term started, had a different view of things. She was torn between the horror of Jack roaming the school three nights in a row ("If Mr. Weselton had caught you!"), and disappointment that he hadn't found out anything about Nicolas Flamel. Not long after Mérida's return they had given up hope of ever finding Flamel in the library, despite Jack's reassurance that he had read the name somewhere. Once school had started again, they only had enough time to skim through books during their few breaks, leaving Jack, and Merida had even less time because of Quidditch.

Eep was working the team harder than ever. Even the seemingly endless rain and snow couldn't damped her spirits. As much as Jack liked the game, he thought Eep was becoming a bit of a fanatic, while Mérida and Astrid were on Eep's side. If they won their next match against Hufflepuff, they would take the House Cup from Slytherin for the first time in seven years.

Then, during a very wet and muddy practice, Eep gave the team a bit of bad news. Apparently Bunny would be referring the next match. At the end of practice, the rest of the team hung back as usual, but Jack and Mérida ran straight to the library where Rapunzel and Hiccup were playing chess. Turns out Rapunzel was just as good at the game as she was at painting.

"Don't talk to me," Hiccup said when Jack and Mérida sat down beside them, "I need to concen - " He then saw the panic in their eyes. "What happened to you guys?"

Mérida and Jack tried to explain Bunny's new job as calmly as they could.

"Don't play," said Rapunzel at once.

"Pretend to break your leg," said Hiccup.

"Say you're ill,"

"Really break your leg!"

"We cannae," Mérida moaned. "There aren't any reserve players. If either ay us backs out, Gryffindor cannae play at aw."

That was when Wee toppled into the library. How he got there was anyone's guess because his legs had stuck together by the Leg-Locker Curse. He must have had to hop all the way there.

Everyone fell over laughing except Hiccup and Rapunzel, the latter of whom leapt up and performed the counter-curse. Wee's legs sprang apart and he go to his feet, trembling.

"What happened?" Hiccup asked him, as Rapunzel lead him over to sit by her and Mérida.

"Snotlout," Wee said shakily. "Ah mit heem outside. He said he'd bin lookin' fur someain tae practice oan."

"Go to Professor Toothiana!" Rapunzel urged. "Report him!"

Wee shook his head. "Ay don't want more trouble." he mumbled.

"You've go to stand up to him!" said Hiccup, "He's used to walking all over people, but you can't just lie down in front of him and make it easier!"

Jack then pulled the last of his Chocolate Frogs from his pocket, and gave it to Wee.

"There's a reason Snotlout is in Slytherin." said Jack.

Wee's lips twitched in a weak smile as he unwrapped the frog.

"Thanks, Jack….I'll jist go back tae th' Hufflepuff dorms….d'yoo want th' card, ye collect them, dornt ye?"

As Wee walked away, Jack looked at the card.

"Chandresh again," he said, "He was the first one I ever - "

Jack stared at the back of the card. "I found him!" Jack whispered, "I found Flamel! I told you I'd read the name somewhere before - _Astennu is particularly famous for his work on alchemy with his partner_, Nicholas Flamel!"

Rapunzel let out a gasp and reached for the enormous old book she had resting on the table.

"I never thought to look in here!" she whispered excitedly, "I got this for a bit of light reading weeks ago,"

"Light?" said Mérida, but Rapunzel told her to be quiet until she looked something up, and started flicking frantically through the pages, muttering to herself.

"I knew it! I knew it!"

"Ur we allowed tae spick yit?" said Mérida grumply. Rapunzel ignored her.

"Nicolas Flamel," she whispered dramatically, "is the only known maker of the Sorcerer's Stone!"

This didn't have the effect she'd expected.

"The what?" asked Mérida and Jack.

"It's a stone that makes all metals into gold," explained Hiccup, "it also makes an elixir which will make the drinker immortal."

"See?" said Rapunzel, "The dragon must be guarding the stone! I bet he asked Professor Chandresh to keep it safe for him because he knew someone was after it!"

"No wonder Bunny wants it," Jack said, "Anyone would want that..."

"An' nae wonder we cooldnae fin' Flamel in onie ay th' books we looked in." said Mérida, "He's not exactly recent if he has a stone that let's him live forever, is he?"

* * *

The next morning in Defense Against the Dark arts, while copying down different ways of treating werewolf bits, Jack and Mérida were still discussing what they'd do with a Sorcerer's Stone if they had one. It wasn't until Mérida said she'd buy her own Quidditch team that they rememberd about Bunny and the coming match.

"I'm going to play," Jack said, "If I don't, the Slytherins will think I'm just too scared to face Bunny….and it'll really wipe the smiles off their faces when we win."

But as the match drew nearer, Jack became more and more nervous, no matter what he told Mérida, Hiccup and Rapunzel. The rest of the team wasn't too clam either. The idea of overtaking Slytherin the house championship was wonderful, but with Bunny refereeing they doubted their chances.

Rapunzel and Hiccup had found a place in the stands next to Wee, who didn't see the point in bringing their wands to a Quidditch match. Then Professor Chandresh walked into the teachers' seating in the stands. Rapunzel and Hiccup gave a sigh of relief. There was no way Bunnymund could try to hurt Jack or Mérida with Chandresh watching.

Perhaps that was why Bunny looked so angry when the teams walked on the field.

"I've never seen Professor Bunnymund this angry before," Rapunzel whispered.

"At least he can't do much harm with- OW!"

Hiccup's cloak had somehow gotten caught on the stands. As he tried to get it free, Bunny had awarded Hufflepuff a penalty because Mérida had unintentionally sent Bludger in his direction. It was still stuck a few minutes later when Bunny gave Gryffindor another penalty for no reason at all.

"Oh come on!" groaned Hiccup, still trying to free his cloak.

"Hiccup!" Rapunzel said suddenly, "Jack!"

"What?" he said turning around, and did a face plant courtesy of his cloak.

Jack had gone into a dive as suddenly as Hiccup fell.

"Come on Jack!" Rapunzel screamed, watching intently as Jack sped straight at Bunny - she didn't even notice Hiccup's latest accident.

Bunny turned in just enough time to see something shoot past him, missing by only inches, and the next second Jack had pulled out of the dive with the Snitch in hand. The stands erupted; it had to be a record, no one could ever remember the Snitch being caught so quickly.

Jack jumped off his broom a foot from the ground. He couldn't believe it - the game had hardly lasted five minutes. As Gryffindors came spilling onto the field, Jack felt a hand on his shoulder and saw Lunar standing next to him.

"Well done," he said quietly so only Jack could hear, "Nice to see you haven't been brooding about that mirror….been keeping busy….excellent…."

Jack had left the boy's locker room some time later to take his broomstick back to the broomshed. He couldn't remember feeling happier. he walked over the damp grass, reliving the last hour in his head, which was a happy blur: Gryffindors running to lift him onto his shoulders; Rapunzel and Hiccup cheering in the distance, Hiccup with a mysterious nosebleed.

Jack had reached the shed and leaned against the wooden door. He'd done it, he'd shown Bunny….

And speaking of Bunny….

A hooded figure came swiftly down the front steps of the castle. Clearly not wanting to be seen, it walked as fast as possible toward the forbidden forest. Jack's victory faded from his mind as he watched. He recognized Bunny's strange half walk, half hop. Bunny was sneaking into the forest while everyone else was at dinner - what was going on?

Jack jumped back on this broom and took off after him. Gliding silently over the castle he saw Bunny enter the forest at ta run. He followed.

The trees were so thick he couldn't see where Bunny went. He flew in circles, lower and lower, brushing the top branches of trees until he heard voices. He glided toward them and landed noiselessly in a towering tree. he climbed carefully along one of the branches, holding his broomstick tight, trying to see through the now frosted leaves.

Below in a shadowy clearing stood Bunny, but he wasn't alone. Mor'du was there too. Jack couldn't make out the look on his face, but his anger was imminent.

"Ah dunnae kinn wa ye wanted tae meit me haur ay aw places Bunnymund."

"Thought we'd keep this private," said Bunny, his voice icy "Students aren't supposed to know about the Sorcerer's Stone after all."

Jack leaned forward. Mor'du growled out something but Bunny interrupted him.

"Have you figured out how to get past that beast of Gobber's yet?"

"Ah don't know what yoo're - "

"You don't want me as an enemy mate." Said Bunny, taking a step toward him.

"Now ah don't know what -"

"You know perfectly well what I mean."

An owl hooted loudly, and Jack nearly fell out of the tree from the newfound frost coating it. He got his grip back in enough time to hear Bunny say, " - your little bit of hocus-pocus. I'm waiting."

Mor'du growled again.

"Fine," Bunny snapped, "We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decide where your loyalties lie. "

* * *

It was late when Jack arrived at the Great Hall for dinner that night.

"Jack, where have yoo been?" Mérida asked as he sat down next to her.

"That's not important," Jack panted, "Let's get Rapunzel and find an empty room. You won't believe what I just found out!"

Hiccup and Mérida exchanged glances.

They made sure Peeves wasn't inside before shutting the door behind him, and told them what he'd overheard.

"So we were right, it is the Sorcerer's Stone, and Bunny's trying to get Mor'du to help him get it." Hiccup said when Jack finished.

"But he doesn't know how to get past the dragon yet. and he said something about Quirrell's 'hocus-pocus', whatever that means."

"What if there are other things in place besides the dragon to keep the stone safe?" Rapunzel chimed in, "I think there are enchantments, and Mor'du would have done some anti-Dark Arts spell that Bunny needs to break through -"

"Sae th' stone's only safe as lang as mor'du stands up tae Bunny?" Mérida asked, "We hae naethin' taeworry abit 'en."

Jack scoffed, "Yeah, not until Bunny whips up some potion that forces Mor'du to be helpful. He's the potion's teacher remember?"

"It'll be gone by next Tuesday," Hiccup sighed.


	9. The Terrible Terror

**First off, I apologize for the long wait. Three of my teachers decided to assign essays within days of each other, and this got put on the back burner. Furthermore, it was drawn to my attention that Jack's ice powers were not being incorporated after the first chapter (Yes, I read the comments and take suggestions seriously, I have three other people helping me come up with ideas for cast and how to tie the movies and books together). I wasn't planning on using them so much in the first two books, but I was going to have a whole hailstorm of them in the third, which I now realize doesn't make much sense (even with Jack's later explosion of power he didn't know he had in the movie) and _needs_ to be incorporated.**

**So I decided to go back and edit every single chapter written so far. It also gave me a chance to incorporate the accents of Mérida and other Scottish characters, North, and Bunny, which I though would be too hard (as I didn't know _how_ to write them) when starting the story, for accuracy (might as well go all the way). I managed to find a 'Scottish Translator' (If anything appears wrong, feel free to tell me), and plenty tips and references for Russian (Otherwise known as Victor Krum), but not a lot to go off of for Bunny. Since the original HP books were written with an English accent, which would be written almost the same as a Australian (Yes, I know they sound different), so until I find an easy to understand reference, just assume it's there.**

**And before anyone asks, Hagrid's accent is so thick and different that it practically sounds like Gobber already.**

**I also recently found out that _Rise of the Guardians_ was apparently based off a book series called _The Guardians of Childhood _and that Jack and MIM have been given full non-guardian names (Really wish I knew that sooner), but I will be keeping Pyry as Jack's last name because: 1) it means snowstorm/blizzard, 2) it comes from the region that I believe started the 'Jack Frost' legend, and 3) Bunny yelling "Overland!" doesn't have the same ring to it as "Pyry!".**

**It also dawned on me that Firenze was a teacher at Hogwarts in the original books, so it wouldn't be much of a stretch to have a Pooka (Bunny's species in books) as a teacher.**

**So every chapter is now slightly different and I don't know how much these changes will affect the overall story in the long run, so I recommend you at least look them over. Furthermore, I felt that the next two chapters needed to be published at the same time for reasons you will understand after reading them, so I apologize if the story has just spammed your inbox.**

**It also dawned on me that I've made Wee a far more crucial character than he was in _Brave_. My reasoning for this is simple: Wee is likely as much of a disappointment to his father as Hiccup was, and they would probably bond over that, being in the same house and all. And I fully indent to include Fishlegs some more.**

**Also, if any of you guys reading this have any ideas for the story what-so-ever, feel free to message me, or leave them in the comments. Like I said, I have people helping me with this and am very open to ideas. For example, I was going to have Hiccup finding Toothless be an accident until an amazing way to add it in was suggested to me (yes, Toothless is being added to this in year one!). Furthermore, a lot of teachers overlap because I ran out of adults (or Tooth). But now knowing that _The Guardians of Childhood _has more characters than I was previously aware of (giving me a way to have a Voldemort type villain) opens a whole new set of characters that I am not familiar with. If any of you are familiar with the books and have ideas for those characters not in the movie, please let me know. _ANY_ ideas are greatly appreciated and will be taken into account.**

**I'm also planning two spin offs.**

**The first will be a _Tangled _adventure where Rapunzel is introduced to Diagon and Nockturn Ally by Eugene in return for the Diadem of Ravenclaw. My goal is to finish the first book by June and start and finish over the summer.**

**The other will be a series of 'deleted scenes' in which things like Gobber taking six Viking teens into Gringotts will be explained. This one will be updated in a random matter, as it doesn't explain anything really necessary to the story and is more for comedic purposes. Rapunzel's spin-off would be a part of this, but I see that turning into a multi-chapter story of its own; it would also further explain Rapunzel's relationship with Eugene before the fourth book in which it becomes very important.**

**Now that I'm done explaining, onwards with the story!**

* * *

**_[The Terrible Terror, Chapter Nine reference pg. 228 - 241]_**

* * *

Bunny must not have been as desperate as they thought. He did seem to be getting paler in the weeks that followed, but it didn't look as though he'd cracked yet. Everytime they passed the third floor corridor, Jack, Mérida, and Hiccup would press their ears to the door to make sure the dragon was still growling inside. Bunny was still hopping about in his usual bad temper, so they assumed that the stone was still safe. Rapunzel, however, was more worried about exams than the stone. She had started making study schedules and color coding all her notes with Hiccup slowly following her lead. Jack and Mérida wouldn't have minded so much if they hadn't started to nag them to do the same.

"Rapunzel, exams are ages away,"

"Ten weeks," Rapunzel sighed, "That's not ages, that's a second to Nicholas Flamel."

"But we're not a hundred and six years old." Jack said, "What are you studying for anyway? You already know it all."

"You realize that we need to pass these exams to get into second year? I should have started studying a month ago!"

Unfortunately, the teachers were thinking along the same lines as Rapunzel. They piled so much homework on them the Easter holidays weren't nearly as fun as the Christmas ones. Except for Bunny. For reasons unknown Bunny was actually being nice, well, nicer, and his classes became the most enjoyable for those few short weeks. But even with Bunny's lack of homework, they still found themselves spending any free time in the library, trying to get through all the extra work.

They had so much, in fact, that no one had seen Gobber until he turned up in the library on Wednesday.

"Gobber!" Rapunzel exclaimed, looking up from her book, "What are you doing here?"

Gobber the proceeded to shuffle into view, hiding something behind his back.

"Jus' Lookin'," he said, "An' what're you four up te'? Yer not still lookin' for Nicolas Flamel, are you?"

"Oh, we found out who he is ages ago," responded Rapunzel.

"Ain we ken whit th' dragon is guardin'!" Merida exclaimed, "It's th' Sorcerer's St-"

"Shhhhh!" Gobber looked around to see if anyone was listening, "Don' go shoutin' about it!"

"And we were wondering what else is guarding the Stone other than the dragon-"

"SHHHHH!" Gobber immediately cut Hiccup off. "Listen - come an' see me later, I'm not promisin' I'll tell yeh anthitng', but don't go talking about it in here! Students aren't s'pposed te know. They'll think I've told yeh, "

"See you later then," Jack said, and Gobber shuffled off.

"What was he hiding behind his back?" asked Rapunzel.

"I'm going to see what section he was in," Hiccup said, closing his book.

A minute later he came back with an armful of books and whispered, "Dragons, Gobber was looking things up about dragons!"

"Why would Gobber have to look up anything about dragons?" asked a very confused Jack, "Don't you have hundreds back home?"

"Hundreds of thousands actually," stated Hiccup. "But that's not the point! He was looking up things on baby dragons,"

"How is that not the point?"

"We don't mem-"

"Wasn't dragon breedin' ootlawed in 1709?"

Hiccup sighed, clearly his friends didn't see where he was coming from.

"Gobber's not trying to breed a dragon. He's trying to-"

"There aren't dragons in Britain are there?" Rapunzel squeaked.

THUD!

"Hiccup?"

"Are you feeling ok?"

"Wa is yer heed oan th' table?"

Thud….Thud….Thud….Thud….

* * *

When they arrived at Gobber's hut an hour later, after a quick stop to get Hiccup some ice for his head, they were surprised to find all the curtains closed. Hiccup hadn't even known Gobber had curtains. Once Gobber checked to make sure no one followed them, he shut the door quickly behind them. Inside the hut it was stifling hot. Even with the now warm temperature, there was a fire in the grate.

"So - yeh wanted to ask me somethin'?"

"Yeah," Jack said, "We were wondering what else is guarding the stone besides the dragon?"

Gobber frowned.

"Now I can't tell yer that," he said, "Course, I don't know myself, but you four know so much already that I wouldn't tell ye even if I could. Stone's here for a good reason. It was almost stolen outta Gringott - I pose yeh've got that all worked out already? Beats me how you even know 'bout the Hideous Zippleback."

"Come on Gobber, you might not want to tell us, but you always know what's going on back home." Hiccup pleaded, "I'd imagine you'd know all about Hogwarts too."

Gobber raised his eyebrows.

"And we only wanted to know who else was trusted enough to help."

After a pause Gobber said,"Well I don't think it could hurt to tell yer that….let's see…. Me, Toothinana and Lunar did something together, North, and Sandy each did somthin'...Mor'du….and one other….Bunny! Bunny did quite a bit, he did."

"Bunny?"

"Yeah - wait - yer not still on 'bout that are yeh? Look, Bunny helped protect the stone, he's not about to go around and steal it."

Jack knew the others were thinking the same as him. If Bunny had been in on protecting the stone, it must have been easy to find out how the other teachers had guarded it. He must have known everything but Mor'du's spell and how to get past the dragon.

"You're the only one who knows how to get past the dragon, aren't you Gobber?" asked Rapunzel nervously, "And you wouldn't tell anyone would you? Not even the teachers?"

"Nobody knows 'cept me an' Lunar." Gobber said proudly."

"Well that's something." Jack muttered, "Can we open a window or something? I'm boiling."

"Can't Jack, sorry," said Gobber, looking at the mantel above the fireplace. Rapunzel looked at it too.

"Gobber - what's that?"

There was what looked like a small orange and green lizard with spikes along its' spine resting on the mantel.

"Whaur did ye gie it?" said Mérida, trying to get a closer look at the dragon, "It main cost a fortune,"

"Won it," Gobber said, "Las' night. I was down in the village havin' a few drinks an' got into a game of cards. He seemed glad to be rid of it, te be honest."

"Why do you even have it?" asked Hiccup.

"Well, your father mentioned that we could use another dragon in the arena for trainin'," Gobber began, "So he'll be joining the others there when someon' comes and picks it up."

Rapunzel became concerned at this, "Gobber, you live in a wooden house!" But little things like that never really bothered the Vikings of Berk.

* * *

So they now had to worry about what would happen if anyone found out Gobber had a dragon in his hut.

"Wonder what it's like to have a peaceful life," Hiccup sighed as Rapunzel handed out study schedules for the lot of them; wondering how on earth any of them would find the time to study between the dragon, the stone, and Quidditch matches.

Then, on the way to Herbology next day, Rapunzel suggested they go and visit Gobber, as no one had seen him in days.

"If anyone had found out what his up to-"

"Shhh!"

A Slytherin, Macduff, was only a few feet away and had stopped dead in his tracks to listen. How much had he head? Hiccup didn't like the look in his face at all.

The two had argued all the way to class, with Hiccup finally giving in to the persistent girl during their morning break. When the bell sounded from the castle at the end of their lesson, she dropped her trowel and practically dragged Hiccup all the way to the hut. Gobber quickly ushered them inside. There were empty bottles of brandy, chicken feathers, and fish heads spewed all over the floor.

"Yer two picked a really bad time." Gobber said in as much of a hushed voice as he could muster, "You're father's sendin' Bucket and Mulch to get the Terror middle of tonight," noting Rapunzel's confusion he then said, "The dragon. I'ave got to get everythin' ready,"

Hiccup looked at the dragon as Rapunzel went over to pet it. It had gone from the size of your average bird to that of Ms. Norris in under a week. Smoke kept furling out of its nostrils. Turns out Gobber hadn't been able to do his game keeping duties because of it.

"It's about time," Hiccup sighed, "You'd think my dad would rush to get another dragon in the ring!"

Gobber was about to answer when the color drained from his face and ran to the window.

"What's is it?"

"Someon' was looking' through the curtains - it's a kid - he's running up ter the school,"

Hiccup and Rapunzel bolted to the door and looked out, even at a distance there was no mistaking the long black hair.

Macduff had seen the dragon.

* * *

It took some convincing on Hiccup's part, but it was determined that Hiccup and Rapunzel would have to be the ones to send the dragon off. Gobber couldn't go in case someone came looking for him, and once Rapunzel got over her fear of the thing (It's like a larger version of Pascal!) she wanted to make sure nothing bad happened to it. Hiccup, of course would also have to go, as Bucket and Mulch wouldn't have the faintest idea who Rapunzel was. They then had to spend a good few minutes trying to get Jack to lend them the cloak without either him or Mérida learning what they were up to scene they had Quidditch practice and would insist upon joining them on their little adventure. If Bunny hadn't passed when he did they just might have with all the excitement boiling inside Rapunzel. After Jack gave Hiccup the cloak during dinner, Hiccup made sure Rapunzel knew where to meet before heading off to fetch the Terror, more like Terrible Terror, grumbled Hiccup. He couldn't wait until the whole thing was over and done with.

It was fairly late when they had arrived at Gobber's, as Peeves had decided to play tennis in the entrance hall, dark clouds already covering the sky. Gobber already had put the dragon in a large crate with some rats and brandy for the flight.

How they managed to get the crate back up to the castle was beyond them. Midnight ticked nearer as they heaved the Terror up the marble staircase in the entrance hall and along the dark corridors. Up another staircase, then another - even one of Gobber's shortcuts didn't make the work much easier.

"Nearly there!" Hiccup panted as they reached the corridor beneath the tower where Gobber had agreed to make the drop.

Then a sudden movement ahead of them made them almost drop the crate. Forgetting they were already invisible, they shrank into the shadows, staring at the dark outlines of two people grappling with each other ten feet away. A lamp flared.

Professor Toothinana, in a teal bathrobe had Macduff by the ear.

"Detention!" she shouted, "And twenty points from Slytherin! Wandering around in the middle of the night, how dare you!"

"Ye don't kin professur! Tw students ur comin' - they've got a dragon!"

"How dare you tell such lies! Come on - let's see what Professor Bunnymund has to say about this!"

The steep spiral staircase up to the top of the tower seemed the easiest thing in the world after that. Non until they'd stepped out in the cold night air did they throw off the cloak, glad to be able to breath properly again. Rapunzel danced around.

"I can't believe we made it! I could sing!"

"Don't," Hiccup warned.

About ten minutes later Bucket and Mulch showed up on their broomsticks. After the crate was buckled into the harness the two Vikings had brought with them they were off.

Now Hiccup wanted to sing.

"You know," Rapunzel said as they headed back down the staircase, "I think I'm going to miss the little thing."

Hiccup didn't respond. Nothing could bring him down from the cloud he was on. No more dragon; and he hadn't messed it up!

At least, not until they reached the bottom of the staircase. Mr. Weselton's face loomed out the darkness.

"Well, well, well," he whispered, "we are in trouble."

They had left the invisibility cloak on top of the tower.


	10. The Forbidden Forest

**_[The Forbidden Forest, Chapter Ten reference pg. 242-261]_**

* * *

Things couldn't have been worse. Mr. Weselton had lead them to Toothiana's study, where they sat and waited without saying a word. Rapunzel was trembling. Excuses, alibis, and wild cover up stories from when he got into trouble on Berk raced through Hiccup's brain, each more feeble than the last. He couldn't see how they were going to get out of this one. They were cornered. How could they have forgotten the invisibility cloak? Jack was going to be furious! There was no reason for Tooth to accept them being out of bed and creeping around the school in the dead of night, let alone being in the astronomy tower. Add the dragon and the invisibility cloak and they might not even get time to pack their bags.

When Toothiana arrived, she was leading Fishlegs.

"Hiccup! Rapunzel!" he burst out the moment he saw them. "I was trying to find you, to warn you! I heard a Slytherin saying he was going to catch you! He said you had a drag-"

They shook their heads violently to get Fishlegs to be quiet, but Professor Toothiana had seen. She looked more likely to breathe fire than the dragon as she hovered over the three of them.

"I never would have believed any of you doing such a thing! Mr. Weselton says you were up in the astronomy tower. It's one o'clock in the morning! Explain yourselves!"

It was the first time Fishlegs and Rapunzel had ever failed to answer a teacher's question.

"You don't even want to know what I've come up with to try and explain this!" Angry Tooth was officially scarier than Bunny, she reminded them of a mother hen or a hummingbird on most days, but know she had turning into a hawk. "Well whatever it was, it had better have been good. I'm disgusted! Four students out of bed in one night! I've never heard of such a thing! I expected better out of you three! You are some of the grades brightest students from what I've heard the other teachers say. All three of you get detentions! Nothing gives you the right to walk around the school at night! Fifty points will be lost from each of you for this!"

Rapunzel squeaked.

Hiccup gulped.

"Minus fifty?" was all Fishlegs managed to get out.

"Now get back to bed, all of you. I've never been more ashamed of students."

A hundred points lost. That put Ravenclaw in last place. In one night, they'd ruined any chance Ravenclaw had at winning the house cup. Rapunzel felt as though the bottom had dropped out of her stomach. Not even Pascal could cheer her up now. Neither Rapunzel or Fishlegs got any sleep that night. She could hear his sobbing through the walls and couldn't think of anything to say to comfort him the next morning. She knew he was dreading what would happen when the rest of the house found out what had happened.

At first, it seemed as though everyone thought there had been a mistake. After all, how could you lose a hundred points overnight. And then the story had started to spread; it was a couple of first years. The whole house had turned on them, they didn't even bother to lower their voices when insulting them. They had stopped drawing attention to themselves in class, keeping their heads down and working in silence. Hiccup didn't have such a hard time. Apparently a few Hufflepuffs had tried to break up a fight and wound up caught in the middle of it. They didn't even notice the extra fifty points missing. But that didn't stop Hiccup from swearing off messing with things that didn't involve him. And Jack had been livid about the cloak. Top it off with not getting to help with the dragon, and Hiccup and Rapunzel thought their day couldn't have gotten any worse.

Jack and Mérida had been quick to get over their anger when they saw Rapunzel and Fishlegs getting picked on; anyone who messed with either of them now had two angry Gryffindor Quidditch players after them. Mérida began to carry around her club as a warning, (she had almost used it, both times prevented when a teacher passed) and Jack would freeze quills, cloaks to chairs, and send the wind after loose papers whenever he got the chance. No one messed with their friends. End of discussion.

Then, about a week before the exams were due to start, Hiccup new resolution was put to the test. Walking back from the library he heard somebody whimpering from a classroom up ahead. As he drew closer, he heard Mor'du's voice.

"No - NO - not again, please -"

It sounded as though someone was threatening him. Hiccup moved closer.

"All right - all right -" he heard Mor'du sob.

Next second, Mor'du came hurrying out of the classroom straightening his armor. He was pale and looked as though he was about to break down. He quickly strode out of sight; Hiccup didn't even think he had noticed him. He waited until Mor'du's footsteps had disappeared, then peered into the classroom. It was empty, but a door stood ajar at the other end. He was halfway to it before he remembered his promise about meddling.

All the same, he'd have bet twelve Sorcerer's stones that Bunny had just left the room with a new spring in his hop and an empty potion vile in his hand. Mor'du had given in at last.

* * *

Hiccup went back to the library, where Rapunzel was quizzing Mérida and Jack on Astronomy and told them what he heard.

"Bunny's done it then!" Mérida said, "If Mor'du's tauld heem hoo tae break his Anti-Dark Force speel -"

"There's still the two-headed dragon though," whispered Rapunzel.

"Maybe Bunny's found out how to get past him without asked Gobber," said Jack, looking at the thousands of books surrounding them. No doubt Bunny had access to all of them, "I bet there's a book in here somewhere that tells you all about how to get past a two-headed dragon."

"So what do we do now?" asked Rapunzel in a hushed tone.

"Go to Professor Lunar!" Hiccup exclaimed. "That's what we should have done when this whole thing started. If we try anything we'll get thrown out for sure."

"But we've got no proof!" said Jack. "Who knows what was in that potion Bunny gave Mor'du! Bunny only has to say he had no idea who the troll got in and we've got nothing! And were not supposed to know any of this, how do you plan on explaining that?"

Rapunzel and Mérida looked convinced.

"If we jist dae a bit ay pokin' aroond-"

"NO." Hiccup said firmly, "We've done enough poking around." He pulled out a map of Jupiter and started to look at its moons.

* * *

The following morning, notes were delivered to Hiccup, Rapunzel, Fishlegs, and Macduff. They all were the same;

Your detention will take place at eleven o'clock tonight. Meet Mr. Weselton in the entrance hall.

Professor Toothiana

Hiccup had forgotten they still had dentition in the mess over the points lost by Rapunzel and Fishlegs. He half hoped that Rapunzel would complain about a whole night of studying lost, but she was as silent as ever. It would be nice to see her act like herself again.

At eleven o'clock that night, the four of them made their way to the entrance hall. Mr. Weselton was already there with his cat.

"Follow me." he said gruffly, lighting a lamp and leading them outside. "I bet you'll think twice about breaking a school rule again." he was positively leering, "Oh yes, hard work and pain are the best teachers if you ask me. It's a pity they let the old punishments die out, locking you in the dungeons for a few days. I've still got the chains in my office; well oiled in case they're ever needed."

They marched off across the dark grounds. Fishlegs kept sniffling. Hiccup wondered what their punishment was going to be. It must be something really horrible, or Weselton wouldn't sound so delighted.

The moon was bright, but clouds scudding across it kept throwing them into darkness. Ahead, Hiccup could see the lighted windows of Gobber's hut. Then they heard a distant shout.

"Is tha' yer Weselton? Hurry up, I want ter get started!"

Hiccup's heart rose; if they were going to be working with Gobber it wouldn't be so bad. His relief must have shown on his face because Weselton said, "I suppose you think you'll have the time of your life with your friend? Well think again boy - it's into the forest you're going and I'll be surprised if you come out in one piece."

At this Fishlegs stopped dead.

"The forest?" he repeated, "We can't go in there at night! There's all sorts of things in there, it'll take plus ten speed to get out alive!"

Rapunzel clutched the sleeve of Hiccup's robe and squeaked.

"Well that's your problem, isn't it?" Mr. Weselton chuckled

Gobber came towards them. He was equipped with a large crossbow on his prosthetic hand, with the quiver of arrows in the other.

"'bout time," he said. "I bin waitn' fer half an hour already." Looking at the fear in the Ravenclaws' faces he said, "That's why yer late is it? Ben lecturin' them eh?"

"I'll be back at dawn," said Weselton, "For what's left of them,"

Macduff not turned on Gobber.

"I'm nae gonnae in 'at forest," he said, his arrogance hinted with a twinge of fear.

"If yeh want to stay at Hogwarts yeh are." said Gobber fiercely, "Yeh've done wrong and how yeh've got to pay for it."

"When my father hears about this-"

"He'll tell you that's how it is at Hogwarts," Gobber growled. "If you'd think your father would rather yeh expelled then head back and pack."

Macduff didn't move.

"Now pay attention. 'Cause I don't want no one take no risks."

He led them over to the edge of the forest. Holding the lamp up with his good hand, he pointed down to a narrow, winding earth track that disappeared into the thick black trees. A light breeze lifted their hair as they looked into eh forest.

"Look 'ere," he said, "See taht stuff shinin' on the ground? 'ilvery stuff? that's unicorn blood. One's bin hurt by somthin'. I found one dead last Wendsday. We're gonna try the find the poor thing."

"And what happens when waht ever did that finds us first?" Fishlegs asked.

"Nothin' in this forest will hurt yeh as long as yeh stick ter the path." Gobber said. "Now we're gonna split up. Meh, Rapunzel and Hiccup will go one way. Fishlegs and Macduff 'ill go the other. If anyone fin's the unicorn send up green sparks. If any of yer get in trouble send up red."

The forest was black and silent. A little way into it they reached a fork in the path, and Rapunzel, Gobber and Hiccup took one path while Fishlegs and Macduff took the other. They walked in silence, their eyes trained on the ground. Every now and then a ray of moonlight through the branches lit a spot of blood on the fallen leaves. They walked passed a mossy tree stump. Hiccup could hear running water; there must be a stream somewhere nearby. There were still spots of blood along the path.

"Yeh alright 'punzel?" Gobber whispered, "Don' worry, it cou'n't have gone far if it'd hurt too bad. An' then we - GET BEHIND THAT TREE!"

Gobber seized Hiccup and Rapunzel and hoisted them off teh path behind a towering oak tree. He then pulled out an arrow and fitted it into the crossbow, ready to fire. The three of them tensed. Something was slithering over dead leaves; it soundly vaguely like a large was squinting along the path, but after a few seconds the sound faded away.

"I knew it," he muttered, "There's something in 'ere that shouln't be."

"What?" Hiccup asked.

"Don' know. Be careful."

They walked slowly, ear straining or the faintest sound. Suddenly, in a clearing ahead, something moved.

"Who's there?" Gobber called, "Show yerself - I'm armed!"

And out came something that resembled a man from the waist up, with red hair and a beard, and a horse below, with a gleaming chestnut body with a long reddish tail. Hiccup and Rapunzel's jaws dropped.

"Oh it's you Ronan," said Gobber in relief. "How are yeh?"

He walked forward and shook the centaur's hand.

"Good evening to you, Gobber," greeted Ronan. He had a deep, sorrowful voice, "Were you going to shoot me?"

"Can't be too careful Ronan," said Gobber, "Ther's somethin' loose in the forrest."

"Mars is bright tonight," Ronan muttered to no one particular.

"Yeah," said Gobber, "Listen, I'm glad we ran inter yeh, a unicorn bin hurt - you seen anythin'?"

Ronan didn't answer immediately. He stared unblinkingly at the sky, then sighed again.

"Always the innocent are the first victims," he said. "So it has been for ages past, so it is now."

"'eah," said Gobber, "But have yeh seen anythin', anythin, at all?"

"Mars is bright tonight," he repeated, Gobber watching impantily, "Unusually so."

"Yeah, but I meant anythin' a bit nearer home."

Yet again, Ronan took a while to answer, "The forest hides many secrets."

A movement in the trees behind Ronan made Gobber raise his bow again, but it was only a second centaur, black haired and bodied.

"Hullo Bane," said Gobber, "All right?"

"Good evening Gobber, I hope you are well?"

"Well enough," he muttered, "Look, I've just been askin' Ronan, you seen anythin' odd in here lately? There's a unicorn that's bin injured."

Ban walked over to stand next to Ronan. He looked skyward.

"Mars is bright tonight,"

"We've heard," Gobber said grumpily. "Well, if either of you do , let me know won't yeh? We'll be off then."

Hiccup and Rapunzel followed Gobber out of the clearing.

"Never," said Gobber irritably, "try an' get a straight answer out of a centaur. Stargazers, not interested in anythin' closer than the moon."

"How many of them are in here?" Rapunzel asked, her mood clearly picking back up.

"Oh a fair few… Keep to themselves mostly, but they're good enough about turnin' up if I ever want a word. They're deep, mind, centaurs….they know things...jus' don't let teh rest of us know."

"Do you think it was a centaur we heard earlier?"

"Did that sound like hooves to you? If yeh ask me, it's what's bin killing the unicorns."

They walked on through the dark, dense trees. Hiccup and rapunzel kept looking over their shoulders nervously. Both were very glad that Gobber had a cross bow with him. They had just passed a ben in the path when Rapunzel grabbed Gobbers arm.

"Gobber! Look! Red sparks, the others are in trouble!"

"You ter wait here!" Gobber shouted. "Stay on the path, I'll come back for ye!"

They heard him crashing away through the undergrowth and stood looking at each other, very scared, until they couldn't hear anything but he rustling of leaves around them.

"You don't think they've been hurt, do you?" whispered Rapunzel.

"I don't care is Macduff has, but if something got Fishlegs….it's our fault he's out here in the first place."

The minutes dragged by. Their ears seemed to pick up everything the a passed, every rush of wind. What was going on? Where were the others?

At last, a great crunching announced Gobber's return. Macduff and Fishlegs were with him. Gobber was fuming. Macduff it seemed had sneaked up behind Fishlegs as a joke. Fishlegs had sent of the red sparks.

"We'll be lucky to catch anythin' now, wit the ruckus you ter were makin'." Gobber said. "We're changin' groups. Hiccup, you go with Fishlegs. Macduff'll stay with me and 'punzel."

So hiccup set off into the heart of the forest with Fishlegs. They walked for nearly half an hour, deeper and deeper into the forest, until the path became almost impossible to follow because the trees were so thick. Hiccup thought the blood seemed to be getting thicker. There were splashes onto roots of a tree, as though the poor creature had been thrashing around in pain close by. Hiccup could see a clearing ahead, through the tangled branches and past a large bolder.

"Look - " he murmured, holding his arm to stop Fishlegs. Something bright white was gleaming on the ground. They inched closer. It was the unicorn alright, and it was dead. Hiccup had never seen anything so beautiful and sad. It's long, slender legs were stuck out at odd angles where it had fallen and its mane was spread on the dark leaves.

Hiccup had taken one step forward when a slithering sound made him freeze where he stood. A brush on the edge of the clearing quivered….Then, out of the shadows a large black dragon came crawling across the ground like some stalking beast. Hiccup and Fishlegs stood transfixed. The dragon reached the union, raised it's head, and cried out.

"AAAAAAARGH!"

Fishlegs let out a scream and bolted, pushing Hiccup in the process, who sent out sparks from his wand which accidentally hit the dragon, who then rammed Hiccup into the bolder.

It's glassly green eyes stared at him for a minute, as though it was making up its mind about what to do, and then let out another blood curdling roar before flying off. When Hiccup finally regained his composure enough to stand, he fell to his knees and black out.

* * *

When he awoke the next morning, Hiccup was in the hospital wing.

Apparently while he and Rapunzel had detention Jack's cloak had mysteriously reappeared.

He did not tell anyone about the dragon.


	11. Through the Trapdoor

**_[Through the Trapdoor, Chapter Eleven reference pg. 262-287]_**

* * *

In the years to come, Jack would never quite remember how he had managed to get through his exams when he was expecting Bunny to get the stone at any moment. Yet the days crept by and the dragon was still alive and well behind the locked door.

It was sweltering hot, especially in the large classroom where they did the written portion of the test. They had practical exams as well. Professor Mansnoozie had them charm some sand into different shapes one at a time; Professor North had them turn blocks of ice into wooden toys; Bunny made them all nervous, breathing down their necks as they tried to remember how to make a forgetfulness potion. Their last exam was History of Magic. One hour of answering questions about questions about batty old wizards and they'd be free. When the ghost of Professor Binns told to them to put down their quills and roll up their parchment, the students could help but cheer.

* * *

"No more studying," Jack sighed happily, stretching out under a tree, then noting Hiccup's still sorrowful expression he added, "Cheer up Hic, we've got a whole week before we find out how badly we did. Don't start worrying yet."

"Jack's reit Hiccup. Th' staine is safe as lang as th' dragon is aroond, an' there's nae proof 'at Bunny knows hoo tae gie pest it yit. He nearly hud his leg ripped aff ance, he's nae gonnae try it again." Mérida said.

Hiccup nodded, but couldn't shake the feeling that he had forgotten something important. When he tried to explain this Rapunzel responded, "That's just the exams. I woke up last night that was halfway through my Transfiguration noes before I remembered that we already had done those."

But Hiccup was certain that the unsettling feeling had nothing to do with work. He watched an owl flutter toward the school, a note clamped in its mouth.

Gobber was the only one who ever sent him letters.

Gobber would never reveal how to get past the dragon.

Never,

But-

Hiccup jumped to his feet.

"Where are you going?" Jack asked.

"I just thought of something," Hiccup said, still walking. The others just exchanged glances,"Don't you think its' a bit odd that Gobber needs another dragon, and a stranger turns up who just happens to have one in his pocket? How many people walk around with dragons if it's illegal? Sure is lucky they found Gobber. Why didn't I see it before?"

"Whit ur ye talkin' abit?" Mérida asked, trying to keep up with Hiccup, who was now sprinting towards Gobber's hut.

* * *

Gobber was sitting outside of his hut, whittling some wood from the forest nearby.

"Finished your exams, eh?" he said, "Got time fer a drink?"

"Sounds great!" Jack panted, but Hiccup cut him off.

"You know that night you won the Terror? What did the guy who had him look like?"

"Dunno," said Gobber casually, "He wouldn't take his cloak off,"

Four stunned looks later and Gobber said, "Yer get a lot of folk like that in the Hog's Head. Mighta bin a dragon dealer, I never saw his face, he kept his hood up. Now why is this so 'portant all of a sudden?"

"What did you talk about Gobber? Did Hogwarts come up at all?"

"Mighta," Gobber said, frowning as he tried to remember, "Yeah….he asked what I did, an' I told him I was gamekeeper here, that an' dealin' with the dragons back on Berk….He asked about the sorta creatures I look after… an' then I can't remember too well, 'cause he kept buying me drinks…but he said he had a dragon I could play him cards fer…but he had to be sure I could handle it, so I told him after the Hideous Zippleback, a little Terror would be easy."

"And did he - did he seem interested in the Zippleback?"

"Well - yeah - how many two-headed dragons d'yeh meet? So I told him, it's a piece of cake if eyh know how to deal with it. Just get the right head wet and it can't do much more than-"

"I shouldn'ta told yeh that!" he blurted out, "Just ferget I said - hey, where you four off ter in such a hurry?"

Hiccup, Jack, Mérida and Rapunzel didn't speak to each other until they reached the entrance hall.

"We've got to get to Professor Lunar," said Rapunzel. "Gobber was either talking to Bunny or Mor'du, either way Bunny knows how to get to the stone now. I just hope he believes us. Where's Professor Lunar's office?"

They looked around, hoping to see a sign pointing them in the right direction. They had never been told where Lunar lived, nor did they know anyone who had been sent to see him.

"Vhat are you four doing inside?"

It was Professor North, carrying a large pile of books.

"We wanted to see Professor Lunar," Rapunzel said.

"See Professor Lunar?" repeated North, "Vhy?"

Hiccup swallowed, now what?

"It's sort of secret," he said.

"Professor Lunar left ten minutes ago," he said coldly. "He received urgent ovl from the Ministry of Magic and flew off for London."

"He's gone?" Jack said frantically, "Now?"

"Professor Lunar is a very great vizard, he had many demands on his time-"

"But this is important!"

"You have something more important than Ministry of Magic?"

"It's abit th' Sorcerer's Staine-" began Mérida, throwing all caution to the wind.

Whatever North was expecting, it wasn't that. The books he was carrying tumbled out of his arms, and he didn't even bother to pick them up.

"How do you know - ?" he sputtered.

"Professor I think - I know - that Bun - that someone's going to try to steal the Stone. We've got to talk to Professor Lunar!"

He eyed them with a look of shock and suspicion.

"I don't know how you found out about Stone, but it is vell protected. No one can steal it."

"But Professor - "

"I know vhat I am talking about," he said sternly, "I suggest you all go out and enjoy sunshine."

* * *

"It's tonight," said Jack, one he was sure North was out of earshot, "Bunny's going through the trapdoor tonight. He's found out everything he needs to know, and now he's even got Lunar out of the way! HE sent that note, I bet the Ministry of Magic won't know what to do when he turns up!"

"But whit can we - "

Mérida and Rapunzel gasped. Jack and Hiccup turned around.

Bunny was standing there.

"Good afternoon," he said coldly.

They stared at him.

"You shouldn't be inside on a day like this," he said with an odd smile. "Hanging around like this people will think you're up to something. And Ravenclaw can't afford to lose any more points can it?"

Rapunzel flushed. They turned to go outside, but Bunny called them back.

"Be warned, anymore nighttime wanderings out of the lots of you and I will personally make sure you are expelled."

He then hopped off in the direction of the staff room.

Out on the stone steps, Hiccup turned to the others.

"Here's what we've got to do," he whispered, "One of us has to keep an eye on Bunny - waiting outside and follow him if he leaves it. Rapunzel, we'd better do that."

"Why me?" she squeaked.

"You can pretend to be waiting for Sandy." said Jack, then raising his pitch a little said, "Oh Professor Mansnoozie, I'm so worried, I think I got question fourteen b wrong…."

Mérida jabbed in the ribs, but Rapunzel had already agreed.

"And you two can keep watch outside the third-floor corridor," Hiccup told Jack and Mérida. "If anything happens, meet in the library,"

But that part of the plan didn't work. No sooner had they reached the door had Professor North turned up.

"Enough of this nonsense! If I hear you've come anyvhere near here again, I'll take fifty points from Gryffindor! Yes, from my own house!"

Jack and Mérida went to the library. Jack had just said, "At least Rapunzel and Hiccup are on Bunny's tail," when they came in the room.

"Bunny asked what we were doing, so when we said we were waiting or Sandy he went and got him! We don't know where Bunny went." Hiccup explained.

"Sae that's it 'en,"

They stared at each other.

"I'm going to try to get the stone first." Jack said after a moment of silence.

"Yoo're mad!"

"After what North and Bunny have said? You'll be expelled!"

"SO WHAT?" Jack, "The stone was locked up in Hogwarts for a reason. I don't care if Bunny's only going to use it to live forever, I'm not going to let it leave this castle. I'm going through the trapdoor tonight and there is nothing you can do to stop me!"

He glared at them.

"You're right Jack," Rapunzel said in a small voice.

"I'll use the cloak,"

"Will it cowre aw fower ay us?" asked Mérida.

"It had enough room for me, Rapunzel and a crate with a dragon in it,"

"Wait, what?"

"You didn't think we'd let you go by yourself, did you?"

"How do you think you'd get the stone without us? I should go and look through my books, there might be something useful…."

"An' I'd better gie mah baw ready," said Mérida, "Who knows whit else is doon thaur?"

"But if we get caught, you'll be expelled too."

"Not if I can help it," Hiccup said. "Sandy let it slip that Rapunzel and I got a hundred and twelve on his exam. They're not going to throw us out after that."

* * *

After dinner the four of waited until everyone else had fallen asleep before meeting in the trophy room to get under the cloak. In their nervous state, every shadow looked like Weselton, and every distant breath of wind sounded like Peeves swooping down on them. At the foot of the first set of stairs, they spotted Mrs. Norris skulking near the top.

"Can we kick her? Just this once?" Jack whispered in Hiccup's ear, but Hiccup shook his head. As they climbed carefully around her, her lamplike eyes on them, but not doing anything. They didn't meet anyone else until they reached the staircase up to the third floor. Peeves was bobbing halfway up, loosening the carpet so people would trip.

"Who's there?" he said suddenly as they climbed toward him. He narrowed his wicked eyes, "Know you're there, even if I can't see you. Are you ghoulie or ghostie or wee student beastie?"

He rose up in the air and floated there squinting at them.

"Should tell Weselton, I should, if something's a-creeping around unseen."

Jack had an idea.

"Peeves," he said in a hoarse whisper, "The Bloody Baron has his own reasons for being invisible."

Peeves almost fell out of the air in shock. He caught himself in time and hovered about a foot off the stairs.

"So sorry, your bloodiness, Mr. Baron, sir," he said greasily. "My mistake, my mistake -I didn't see you - of course I didn't, you're invisible - forgive old Peevsie his little joke sir."

"I have business here, Peeves," croaked Jack, "Stay away from this place tonight."

"I will sir, I most certainly will," said Peeves, rising up in the air again. "Hope your business goes well Baron, I'll not bother you."

And he swooped off.

"Genius Jack!" whispered Rapunzel.

A few seconds later, they were there, outside the third floor corridor - and the door was already ajar.

"Guess Bunny already got past the dragon." Hiccup said quietly.

"If you want to go back, I won't blame you," Jack whispered, "You can take the cloak, I don't need it now."

"Don't be stupid," said Mérida.

"Of course we're coming." added Rapunzel.

After a reassuring nod form Hiccup, Jack pushed the door open. As the door creaked, a low, rumbling met their ears. The dragon sniffed in their direction, even though it couldn't see them.

"What's at its feet?" Rapunzel whispered.

"Looks like a bucket of water." Hiccup said, "Bunny must have left it there."

"Well, here goes nothing," they began to walk forward, and the dragon just looked around confused. They were almost to the door when Hiccup tripped and they all came tumbling out of the cloak.

The one the dragon's heads began to breathe a green smoke, and you could tell the other was struggling to light it as it loomed forward.

"What do we do?" Jack asked.

"Ah' dorn't hink mah bow will be much use!" Mérida panicked.

"Don't look at me," Hiccup said, "I don't have the slightest idea what to do!"

Then Rapunzel began to sing.

_"Seven A.M., the usual morning line-up! Start on the chores, and sweep 'til the floor's all clean!"_

"What are you doing?" Jack asked, completely confused.

The dragon began to calm down.

_"Polish and wax, do laundry and mop and shine up! Sweep again, and by then it's, like, seven-fifteen!"_

"And why is it working?" asked Hiccup.

"Hey!" Mérida called to the boys, trying to open the trapdoor, "Caur tae help me?"

_"And so I'll read a book, or maybe two or three! I'll add a few new paintings to my gallery! I'll play guitar and knit and cook, and basic'ly, Just wonder, when will my life begin?"_

"Just keep singing!" Jack called over his shoulder, the dragon now starting to fall asleep.

_"Then, after lunch, it's puzzles, and darts and baking, papier-maché, a bit of ballet, and chess! Pottery and ventriloquy, candle-making, then I'll stretch! Maybe sketch! Take a climb, sew a dress!"_

"What do you see?" Hiccup asked, straining to fully open the door.

"Naethin', jist black. There's nae way ay climbin' doon, we'll jist hae tae drap."

Jack looked down through the trapdoor to confirm what Mérida had said. He lowered himself thought the hole until he was resting on his elbows. He looked at Hiccup and Mérida and said, "If anything happens to me, don't follow. Go straight to North and have him get Lunar,"

"Got it," said Hiccup.

_"And I'll re-read the books, if I have time to spare! I'll paint the wall some more, I'm sure there's room somewhere! And then I'll brush, and brush, and brush, and brush my hair! Stuck in the same place I've always been. And I'll keep won'dring, and won'dring, and won'dring-"_

And Jack let go. Cold, damp air rushed past him as he fell down, down, down, and-

FLUMP! with a funny muffled sort of thump he landed on something soft. He sat up and felt it, his eyes not used to the gloom. It felt as though he was sitting on some for of plant.

"It's ok!" he called, "It's a soft landing, you can jump!"

Mérida quickly followed suit, and landed next to Jack.

"What's thes stuff?"

"Some sort of plant thing. I guess it's supposed to break the fall-" Jack was cut off by Hiccup landing on his other side.

"Come on Rapunzel!"

_"-And won'dring, when will my life begin?"_ and with the final note, she too joined her friends on the plant.

"We must be miles under the school," she said once she had collected herself.

"Lucky this plant thing is here." sighed Hiccup.

"LUCKY!" shrieked Rapunzel, "Look at you!"

She leapt up and struggled toward a damp wall. The moment she had landed the plant had started to twist snake-like tendrils around her ankles. As for Jack, Mérida, and Hiccup, their legs had already been bound tightly in long creepers without them noticing. Rapunzel had managed to free herself before the plant got a firm grip on her. Now she watched in horror as her friends fought to pull the plant off them, but the more they struggled against it, the tighter the plant's grip became.

"Stop moving!" Hiccup ordered them, "I know what this is - it's Devil's Snare!"

"Oh, I'm so glad we know what it's called, that's a great help," snarled Jack, leaning back, trying to stop the plant from curling around his neck, "God, I _hate_ that rabbit!"

"Shhh! I'm trying to remember how it kill it!" said Rapunzel.

"Weel, coorie up, Ah can't breathe!" Mérida gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around her chest.

"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare….What did Bunny say? - it likes the dark and the damp - "

"So light a fire!" Hiccup choked.

"Yes - of course - but there's no wood!" Rapunzel cried.

"HAE YE LOST YER MIND?" Mérida bellowed, "UR YE A WITCH UR NAE?"

"Oh, right!" said Rapunzel, and she whipped out her wand, waved it, muttered something, and sent a jet of the same blue flames she had used on Bunny at the plant. In a matter of seconds, the three felt it loosening its grip as it cringed away from the light and warmth. Wriggling and flailing, it unraveled itself from their bodies, and they were able to pull free.

"Good thing you two pay attention in Herbology," said Jack as he joined Rapunzel by the wall, wiping sweat off his face.

"Yeah," said Hiccup, "and lucky Mérida doesn't lose her head in a crisis."

"Thank ye," said Mérida.

"This way," said Jack, pointing down a stone passageway, which was the only way forward.

All they could hear other than their footsteps was the gentle drip of water trickling down the walls. The passageway sloped downward, and Rapunzel was reminded of Gringotts.

_I hope Flynn is ok…_ she thought to herself, recalling the events of the previous summer.

"Can you hear something?" Hiccup whispered.

A soft rustling and clinking seemed to be coming from up ahead.

"Do you think it's a ghost?"

"I don't know, sounds like wings to me."

"There's a light ahead - I can see something moving,"

They had reached the end of the passageway and were confronted with a brightly lit chamber, its ceiling arching high above them. It was full of small, golden birds, fluttering and tumbling all around the room. On the opposite side of the chamber was a heavy wooden door.

"Do you think they'll attack if we cross the room?" asked Hiccup.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Jack said, taking a step forward. He expected his face filled with sharp beaks and claws, but nothing happened. He had reached the door untouched. He pulled the handle, but it was locked. The others followed him. They too tugged at the door, but it wouldn't budge.

"Now what?" asked Rapunzel.

"These birds can't jist be haur fur decoration," said Mérida.

They watched the birds soaring overhead, glittering - glittering?

"They're not birds!" Jack said suddenly, "They're keys! Winged keys! So that must mean..." he looked around the chamber while the others squinted up at the flock. "...A broomstick! We've go to catch the key to the door!"

"But there are hundreds of them!"

Hiccup examined the door.

"We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one - probably silver, like the handle."

They all stared at him.

"I work at the blacksmith's shop with Gobber back home," Hiccup shrugged.

By then Jack had seized the broomstick and kicked off into the air, soaring into the middle of a cloud of keys. After a minute of weaving through a flurry of golden feathers, he noticed a large silver key that had a bent wing, as if it had already been caught and stuffed into a keyhole. Jack caught it as quickly as he could, flew back down, and ran to the door, struggling key in hand. He rammed it into the lock and turned - it worked. the moment the lock had clicked open, the key took flight again, looking very battered now that it had been caught twice.

"Ready?" jack asked the others, his hand on the door handle. They nodded, and he pulled the door open.

The next chamber was so dark they couldn't see anything at all. But as they stepped into it, light suddenly flooded the room to reveal a large chessboard. They were behind the black pieces, which were all taller than they were and carves from what looked like black stone. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. They shivered slightly - the white pieces had no faces.

"Noo whit dae we dae?"

"We've got to play our way across," Hiccup said, staring at the door behind the white pieces.

"I think we're going to have to be chessmen," Rapunzel added. She walked up to a black night and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, it sprang to life. The horse pawed the ground and the knight turned his helmeted head to look down at her.

"Do we - er - have to join you to get across?" The knight nodded.

"I suppose we've got to take the place of four of the black pieces…."

Jack and Mérida stayed quiet, watching Hiccup and Rapunzel think. Finally Hiccup said, "Now, don't be offended or anything, but neither of you are that good at chess -"

"Jist teel us whit tae dae." Mérida said quickly.

"Well, Mérida, you take the place of that bishop, and Jack, you go next to her instead of that rook." when they didn't move Hiccup said, "The thing with the pointy hat and the castle."

"What about you two?"

"I'll be a knight." said Rapunzel, still staring at the horse.

"I'll be a pawn then."

The chessmen seemed to be listening, because at these words a knight, pawn, rook and bishop turned their backs on the white pieces and walked off the board, leaving four empty squares that Hiccup, Rapunzel, Jack, and Mérida took.

"White always plays first in chess," Rapunzel said, peering across the board.

A white pawn had moved forward two squares.

Hiccup and Rapunzel started to direct the black pieces. They moved silently wherever they were told to go.

"Mérida - move diagonally four squares to the right."

Their first real shock came when their other knight was taken. The white queen smashed him to the floor and dragged him off the board, where he lay facedown.

"Had to let that happen," Hiccup said, looking shaken, "Leaves you free to take that bishop Jack."

Everytime one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black pieces slumped along the wall. Twice, Hiccup and Rapunzel had only just noticed when Jack and Mérida were in danger. They themselves darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost.

"We're nearly there," Rapunzel muttered suddenly, "Let me think - let me think…."

The white queen turned her blank face toward her.

"Yes..." she said softly, "it's the only way….I have to be taken."

"NO!" Jack and Mérida shouted.

"That's chess!" cried Rapunzel. "You've got to make some sacrifices! I take one step forward and she'll take me - that leaves you free to checkmate the king Mérida!"

"But-"

"Do you want to stop Bunny or not?"

"Rapunzel-"

"If we don't hurry he'll already have the stone!"

There was no way around it.

"Ready?" Hiccup called.

"Yep," Rapunzel said, as bravely as she could muster.

She stepped forward, and the white queen pounced. She struck Rapunzel hard across teh head with her stone are, and she crashed to the floor - Jack screamed but stayed on his square, the white queen dragged Rapunzel to one side. He looked as if she'd been knocked out.

Shaking, Mérida moved three spaces to the left.

"CHECKMATE!" she cried.

The white king took of his crown and threw it at her feet. They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear. With one last desperate look at Rapunzel, Hiccup said, "Take her to the infirmary Jack,"

"What about you two?"

"You're the best flyer. Take the broom from the key room and get her some help."

Jack paused, "Good luck," and then he ran to Rapunzel and as carefully as he could he took her into the next room.

"Whit dae ye hink is next?"

"We've had one of Bunny's, Sandy must have put the charms on the keys, North must have made the chessmen alive, that leaves Mor'du's spell, whatever Tooth and Lunar came up with, and another one of Bunny's…."

They had reached another door. Mérida and Hiccup pushed it open.

A disgusting smell filled their nostrils, making both of them gag. Eyes watering, they saw, flat on the floor in form of them, a troll even larger than the one they had tackled, out cold with a bloody lump on its head.

"Glad we didn't have to fight that one," Hiccup whispered as they stepped carefully over one of its massive legs.

They pulled open the next door, both of them hardly daring to look at what came next - but there was nothing very frightening in here, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles standing in a line.

"Th' lest ay Bunny's," said Mérida, "Whit dae we 'ave te dae?"

They stepped over the threshold, and a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading forward. They were trapped.

"Look!" Hiccup seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles.

_"Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,_

_Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,_

_One among us seven will let you move ahead,_

_Another will transport the drinker back instead,_

_Two among our number hold only nettle wine,_

_Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line._

_Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,_

_To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:_

_First, however slyly the poison tries to hide_

_You will always find some on nettle wine's left side;_

_Second, different are those who stand at either end,_

_But if you would move onwards neither is your friend;_

_Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,_

_Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;_

_Fourth, the second left and the second on the right_

_Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight."_

"Genius!" said Hiccup, "This isn't magic - it's a logic puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got any, they'd be stuck here forever."

"Great." said Mérida, "Whit abit us?"

"Everything we need is here on this paper." explained Hiccup, "Seven bottles; three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire, and the other will get though the purple."

"But hoo dae we ken which tae drink?"

"Give me a minute,"

Hiccup read the paper several times. then he walked up and down the line of bottles, muttering to himself all the while.

"I've got it!" he said, "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire."

Mérida looked at it. "There's only enaw fur a body ay us," she said, "Hardly one swallow's worth."

They looked at each other.

"Which a body will gie ye back thocht th' purple?"

Hiccup pointed at the rounded bottle at the right end of the line.

"Yoo drink that," she said, "Gang back an' help th' others, send an owl tae Lunar. I'll dae mah best tae hauld aff Bunny."

"Good luck," Hiccup sighed.

"I've got mah baw wi' me. 'At rabbit's nae match fur an archer ay clan Dun'Brooch!" Mérida said cheerfully, "Ye drink first, ye ken which is which."

He took a long drink from the round bottle at the end, and shuddered.

"It's not poison?"

"No - but it's like ice." Hiccup turned and walked back through the purple fire.

Mérida too a deep breath and picked up the smallest bottle. She turned to face the black flames.

"Here Ah come," she said, and she drank the little bottle in one gulp.

Hiccup was right when he described the potion like ice. Mérida put the bottle down and walked forward; she braced herself, saw the black flames liking her body, but couldn't feel them - for a moment he could see nothing but dark fire - then she was on the other side, in the last chamber.

There was already someone there - but it wasn't Bunny.


	12. The Man With Two Faces

_**[The Man With Two Faces, Chapter Twelve reference pg. 288-309]**_

It was Mor'du.

"YE!" gasped Merida.

Mor'du smiled. "Ah was wonderin' if anyain wood come tae try an' gonnae-no me,"

"But Ah thooght - Bunny-"

"Aster?" Mor'du laughed, cold and sharp. "He diz seem loch th' type, doesn't he? sae useful tae hae heem hoppin' aroond loch an overgroon rodent."

"But Bunny tried tae kill Jack!"

"Nae, nae, nae. Ah tried tae kill Jack. Yer mukker Miss. Conera accidentally bumped intae me as she rushed tae sit fire tae Aster at 'at Guidditch match. She broke mah yak contact. Anither few seconds an' I'd hae got heem aff 'at broom. I'd hae dain it afair if Aster hadn't bin mutterin' a coontercurse, tryin' tae sae heem."

"Bunny was trying to save Jack?"

"Wa dae ye hink he wanted tae referee yer next match? He was tryin' tae make sure Ah didn't os it again. Funay really….he needn't hae bothered. Ah cooldn't dae a hin' wi' Lunar watchin'. Aw th' other teachers ben Aster was tryin' tae keep Gryffindur frae winning….what a waste ay time."

He paused.

"Yoo and yer friends ur tay noisy tae live. Scurryin' aroond th' skale oan halloween loch 'at, fur aw Ah kent yoo'd seen me comin' tae see whit was guardin' th' Stone."

"Yoo let 'he troll in?"

"I hae a special gift wi' trolls-yoo main hae seen whit Ah did tae th' a body in th' chamber back thaur? Unfortunately, while a' fowk else was runnin' aroond lookin' fur it, Aster went straecht tae th' third fluir tae heed me aff - an' nae only did mah troll fail tae beat ye tae death, 'at dragon didn't e'en managed tae bit his leg aff properly!"

"Noo, bide quietly. Ah need tae examine thes interestin' mirrur."

That was when Merida realized what was standing behind Mor'du. It was the mirror Jack and Hiccup had found during winter break.

"Th' mirrur is th' key tae findin' th' Stone," Mor'du muttered, tapping his way around the frame. "Trust Lunar an' Toothiana tae come up wi' somethin' loch this…"

All Merida could think of doing was to keep Mor'du talking and stop him from concentrating on the mirror.

"Jack saw ye an' Bunny in th' forest - " she blurted out.

"Yes," said Mor'du idly, walking around the mirror to look at the back. "He was oan tae me by 'at time, tryin' tae fin' it hoo far I'd gotten. Tried tae frighten me - as thocht he cood, when Ah hae th' Fearlings oan mah side,"

He paused again.

"Ah see th' staine, I'm presentin' it tae mah masters, but whaur is it?"

Merida didn't know what a 'Fearling' was, and dhe didn't particularly care at that moment. She had to keep Mor'du form giving his full attention to the mirror.

"But Hiccup heard ye a few days ago, sobbin' - we thooght Bunny was threatenin' yoo…."

For the first time, a spasm of fear flitted across Mor'du's face. "Sometimes Ah fin' it hard tae follaw mah masters' instructions - they ur great an' Ah am nae."

"Ye mean they waur in th' classroom wi' ye?" Merida gasped.

"They ur wi' me wherever Ah go," said Mor'du quietly, "I mit them when Ah traveled aroond th' warld. A foolish cheil Ah was 'en, foo ay ridiculous ideas of good and evil. They showed me hoo wrang Ah was. Thaur is nae guid an' evil, thaur is only power, asn those fa ur tay weak tae seek it…Since 'en, Ah hae served them, althoogh Ah hae lit them doon mony times. They hae tae be hard oan me."

Mor'du cursed.

"Ah don't understand…is th' Stone inside th' mirrur? Shood Ah break it?"

Merida's mind was racing.

_What I want more than anything else in the world is to find the Stone before Mor'du. So if I look into the mirror, according to Jack, I should see myself finding it - which means I'll see where it's hidden! But how can I look without Mor'du realizing what I'm up to?_

She tried to edge to the left, to get in front of the glass without Mor'du noticing, but he was too big and blocked the whole thing from Merida's view.

"Whit diz thes mirrur dae? Hoo diz it wark? Help me, Masters!"

And to Merida's horror, a swirl of voices answered, coming from the shadows all around them.

"Use the girl….Use the girl…."

Mor'du turned round.

"Yes - come haur lass."

Merida backed up.

"Come haur," Mor'du repeated, "Look intae th' mirrur an' teel me whit ye see."

Merida walked toward him in fear.

_I must lie,_ she thought desperately, _I must look and like about what I see, that's all._

Mor'du moved close behind her. Merida breathed in, closed her eyes, and stepped in front of the mirror, and opened them again. She saw herself smiling. She put her hand into the pocket in her skirt and pulled out a stone as red as her hair. She winked and put the stone back into her pocket - and as it did so, Merida felt something heavy drop into her real pocket. Somehow _- she'd gotten the stone._

"Weel?" Mor'du said impatiently, "Whit dae ye see?"

Merida paused.

"Ah see myself shakin' hans wi' Lunar," she said, "Ah - I've won th' hoose cup fur Gryffindur."

Mor'du cursed again.

"Gie it ay th' way!" he said, pushing Merida out of the mirror's view.

"She lies….She lies…." the eerie voices whispered again.

Mor'du turned.

"Come back haur! teel th' truth! whit did ye see?"

Merida ran.

"Come back haur!" Mor'du shouts turned into roar. It was as though Devil's snare had rooted her to the spot. Merida couldn't move a muscle. Petrified she watched as he turned into a bear, and muttered to herself, "Strength of ten men, fate be changed,", recalling the story her father told her of the animagus who once lived in the forest surrounding her home.

The one who stole his leg.

Merida reached behind her and grabbed and arrow in a desperate attempt to defend herself. Bunny might not have been a match for her arrows, but a full grown bear was another story.

Mor'du didn't even flinch when it hit him. By now Merida had stumbled backwards halfway to the door; she shot another arrow. Once again, the effect was that of a fly trying to hit a lion. As Merida ran Mor'du knocked over one of the ceiling high towers scattered around the room while the terrible voices rang out, "SEIZE HER! SEIZE HER! SEIZE HER!" over and over again. She had barely made it out of the way when it fell, and then used the rubble to climb nearer toward the door.

The flames were long gone by now, giving Merida a clear path to the other side. She had just made it out when Mor'du came crashing through the wall. She managed to shoot two more arrows at the bear, now with shards of stone and wood sticking out of his back, before stumbling over the still unconscious troll, bow falling out of her arms. It was as though he could feel no pain.

With Merida now on her back defenseless the voices changed their chanting, "KILL HER! KILL HER! KILL HER!"

With a paw on either side of her head Mor'du opened his gigantic mouth, to roar or bite her head off Merida did not know, because that's when the door to the chess room opened.

* * *

Something gold was glinting above her.

Merida blinked, it was a pair of glasses.

She blinked again, the face of Professor Lunar came into view.

"Good afternoon, Merida," he said.

Merida stared at him, then she remembered, "Sir! Th' Stone! It was Mor'du! He's got th' Stone!"

"Calm yourself dear, you are a little behind it seems." Lunar said, "Mor'du does not have the Stone,"

"'En who diz?"

"Please relax, or Maudie will have me thrown out."

Merida swallowed and looked around her. She was in a bed with white linen sheets, and next to her was a table piled high with what looked like half the candy shop.

"Tokens from your friends and admirers," explain Lunar, "What happened down in the dungeons between you and Professor Mor'du is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows."

"Hoo lang hae Ah bin haur?"

"Three days. Mr. Haddock, Miss. Conera, and Mr. Pyry will be most relieved you have come around, they have been extremely worried."

"Bu' sir, th' Stone-"

"I see you are not to be distracted. Very well, the Stone. Professor Mor'du did not manage to take it from you. Professor North and I arrived in time to prevent that, although you were doing very well on your own, I must say. As for the Stone, it has been destroyed."

"Destroyed? But-"

"You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and life you could want! The two things most human beings would choose above all - the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things that are worst for them."

Merida lay there, lost for words.

"Sir?" said Meida, "Whit waur those things 'at helped Mor'du?"

"Fearlings," responded Lunar, "But those shadowy beings are not for you to worry about."

"But wa did they want th' Stone? Wa did they want me an' my friends deid? Ur they still out thaur?"

"Yes, I presume they are. They left Mor'du to die; they do not have mercy for their followers as they do enemies. As to why they wanted the Stone, I do not know. But they thrive off fear, that must be the reason they wanted you and your friends dead."

Lunar now became very interested in a bird outside on the windowsill, which gave Merida time to process all the information just given to her.

"Sir? Thaur's one more thing…."

"Just one?"

"Hoo did Ah gie th' staine it ay th' mirrur?"

"Ah, now, I'm glad you asked me that. It was one of Toothiana's more brilliant ideas, and between you and me, that's saying something. You see, only one who wanted to find the Stone - find it, but not use it - would be able to get it, otherwise they'd just see themselves making gold or drinking the Elixir of Life. She surprises me sometimes for one so young…."

* * *

"Jist fife minutes!"

"Absolutey nae!"

"Yoo lit Professur Luanr in..."

"Quite different. Ye need rest."

"I am restin', swatch, lyin' doon an' everythin'."

"Oh huir alright, but fife minutes only!"

And she let Jack, Rapunzel, and Hiccup in.

"Merida!"

Rapunzel looked ready to fling her arms around her, but Merida was glad she restrained herself as her head was still very sore.

"Oh, Merida, we were so worried - "

"The whole school's been talking about it!" said Jack, "What really happened?"

It was one of those rare occasions when the true story is even more strange than the wild rumors. Merida told them everything: Mor'du, the mirror, the Stone, and the Fearlings.

"So, the Stone's gone?" Hiccup said flatly, "Flamel's just going to die?"

"Ah guess," said Merida, "Sae whit happened tae ye thee?"

"Well I managed to catch up with Jack and get Rapunzel out alight," said Hiccup, "It was a lot harder to get past the dragon without Rapunzel's singing the second time - that took a while - when we got out we ran into North and Lunar - " Jack cut him off.

"They just said 'You went after him, didn't you?' and ran down to get you.'"

"Oh and you won't believe what happened during the end of year feast last night-"

At that moment, Maudie bustled over.

"Yoo've hud nearly fiftenn minutes, noe OUT!"

* * *

Merida had almost forgotten that the exams results were still to come with all the excitement generated by the stone. Both Jack and herself had passed with good marks; Rapunzel, of course had the best grades in the class, with Fishlegs, Hiccup and Astrid not far behind. Even Wee scraped through. They had hoped that Tuffnut, who was almost as stupid as he was mean, might be thrown out, but he somehow managed to pass.

And suddenly, their wardrobes were empty, their trunks were packed, Pascal was found lurking in a windowsill; notes were handed out to all students, warning them not to use magic over the holidays; Gobber was there to take them down to the fleet of boats that sailed across the lake; they were boarding the Hogwarts Express; talking and laughing as the countryside became greener and tidier; pulling off their wizard robes and putting on jackets and coats; pulling onto platform ine and three-quarters at Kings' Cross Station.

It took quite a while for all of them to get off the platform. A wizened old guard was up by the ticket barrier, letting them go through the gate in twos and threes as not to attract attention by bursting of of a solid wall at once and alarming the Muggles.

"You guys need to come and stay this summer," said Hiccup, "All of you - I'll send an owl."

"Thanks," said Jack, "I'll need something to look forward to,"

* * *

**I've also finished the first chapter of Rapunzel's spin off. Look for it on my page, or search for it. It's called, _"To Diagon Ally!" _**


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